Resilient Under Rubble: Iqbal al-Zeidi's Survival in Gaza

Iqbal al-Zeidi has been collecting her family's possessions from the ruins of their Gaza City home since it was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. Enduring ongoing violence and harsh conditions, she and her family reside in a tent near Al-Aqsa Hospital, facing severe shortages of essential supplies and worsening health crises.

Iqbal al-Zeidi has repeatedly ventured out to retrieve her family's belongings from the debris of their Gaza City home, destroyed by an Israeli airstrike nearly a year ago.

Amid ongoing bombardments, al-Zeidi travels to the wrecked site, collecting crucial items such as bedsheets and blankets, and bringing them back to their shelter - a frayed tent in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital. The tent is one of many clustered around, offering scant relief from the unbearable heat and continued attacks.

On Thursday, an Israeli airstrike killed four people living in similar tents near the hospital, local medics reported. Al-Zeidi is part of the countless Gazans forced to move within the besieged enclave, only to face more violence at their new shelters. "Our house was a 120-square-meter apartment. Now we live in a 4x4 meter tent," she lamented, exhausted by the sweltering conditions. "We left with nothing—no papers, no certificates, nothing. We are completely erased."

Her struggle mirrors Gaza's dire situation: rampant shortages of water, medicine, fuel, and largely non-functional hospitals. The collapsing health system exacerbates issues from hunger to disease. "My granddaughter has a heart condition without available treatment. I myself suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes and can't find medication," al-Zeidi confided to Reuters.

The conflict reignited on Oct. 7, with Hamas attacking southern Israel, killing 1,200 and taking over 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources. Israel's military campaign has since claimed more than 40,861 Palestinian lives, Gaza health officials state. Israel maintains efforts to minimize civilian casualties, accusing Hamas of using human shields and operating from schools and hospitals—a claim Hamas denies, alleging indiscriminate Israeli bombings. Near Al-Aqsa Hospital, al-Zeidi's eight-month-old grandson sat inside the tent as family members sought shade amid the ongoing adversity.

"Another month will pass, marking a year here. We chase after food and water amidst disease," she said. (Written by Tala Ramadan; Edited by Michael Georgy and Andrew Heavens)

(With inputs from agencies.)