"One was on October 19, when Israeli forces bombed a café - a space to breathe away from scenes of destruction, a place to work or study with a reliable internet connection, a meeting point for displaced friends, a brief chance to enjoy the moment. I could have been there. I was juggling my studies ahead of a musculoskeletal exam for medical school, planning to go to the café for a stable internet connection. But something held me back. I stayed home."
"Midway through taking my exam in my refugee camp, an explosion shook the ground, and billowing smoke blurred our vision. Back then, I did not have the luxury of knowing where it fell or exactly what it hit. But I heard the crowds screeching. My mind was racing as I relentlessly tried to stay focused on answering my exam questions."
A ceasefire officially began on October 10, 2025, but strikes and breaches continued across Gaza. On October 19 Israeli forces struck the Twix Café, killing six patrons and injuring many, disrupting study and daily life in a refugee camp. An explosion shook the camp midway through an exam. Israeli media later announced an end to escalation and claimed targets were achieved, while residents were left to trust a fragile truce. On November 22 a neighborhood massacre killed members of an entire family. Bombing continued as Israel moved its Yellow Line, and on January 21, 2026 three members of the Al-Rjodi family were killed in Deir al-Balah.
Read at Truthout
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