No tears left to cry… no words left to describe…

However, why should we still talk about Palestine?

By Shraddha Mishra

Everyone is talking about October 7, 2023, but what about October 6? What about life before that day, and for so many years, day after day, week after week?

Life in Gaza has never been ‘normal’. Before October 7, the people of Palestine were living through an everyday hell: multiple security blockades, huge, fortified walls, check-posts, no freedom of movement, power cuts, the sound of guns on the ground, the sound of drones overhead.  Palestine carried on not because things were okay, but because Palestine had no choice. 

Every day, indeed, has been a long history of struggle and suffering. A daily battle for survival.

Maybe for you it’s a destroyed place, but, for them, it’s a family, a home, a neighbourhood. This is the place where they first learned their first words, where they discovered love and friendship, where, in their roots, they had a life; this is the place, where, they, perhaps felt safe!

And now? 

Now all that is left is mass destruction. All the memories are gone. All family members have been killed.

There are more than two million people living in Gaza, despite the almost 50,000 dead. The survivors — every one has a story about the genocide.

Only in Gaza you sleep, not knowing how you will wake up 

With the sound of bombs? 

Or, the sound of a crying baby who lost his family?

Or, the sound of ambulance sirens? 

What’s worse? You sleeping, not knowing if you will wake up the next day. Not knowing if your entire family will wake up the next day.

Only in Gaza you sleep, counting rockets rather than stars

You wake up, if you wake up 

With the sounds of bombs, not birds 

Only in Gaza, in a blink of an eye, your life can change. In a blink of an eye, you can lose your life. Yes, die.

It is in this manner that thousands of souls, dreams, and human beings, have gone away from this earth. All murdered.

However, why should we still talk about Palestine?

Earlier, Palestinians needed you. Now, you need the Palestinians to remind you of what values you hold as a human being; what values you allow to grow and sustain in this world.

Indeed, it isn’t really about the Palestinians anymore!

This is the 75th year of the establishment of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Allow me to share with you some of its important aspects.                                           

Article 15: the right to live safely on your land in peace. This generates the right to food, shelter and a life free from violence. Article 13: Every child has the right to live. Article 26: Everyone has the right to education. 

We know that freedom of speech is also a part of fundamental rights; but human rights don’t apply to all humans beings equally, especially if you are from Palestine. Surely, when it comes to Israel, no law applies.

Only in Gaza you sleep, counting rockets rather than stars…

Shraddha Mishra is a Class 11 student of Dr BR Ambedkar School of Specialized Excellence (SoSE), Dwarka, under the Delhi Board of Secondary Eduction, Delhi government.