It was an easy challenge to accept.

My response: A young woman survived another day in Gaza.

The survival of a young woman in Gaza is a testament to the immense strength and resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable hardship. Her experience is part of a broader, daily reality for countless individuals in the region who are enduring the devastating consequences of conflict.

Stories from Gaza, like the one from Al Jazeera about a woman training to heal eyes, highlight the powerful determination to not only survive but also to find purpose and help others amid the chaos. This young woman, despite facing malnutrition, exhaustion, and psychological pressure, continued her work to bring “light back into people’s lives, literally.” Her story is a powerful example of how the will to live is intertwined with a desire to contribute and heal, even when one’s own well-being is at risk.

Her survival is not just a personal victory; it’s a profound act of endurance that defies the constant threat of violence, starvation, and a complete breakdown of normal life. It is a reminder that in the most dire circumstances, hope and a sense of purpose can persist, providing the strength to face another day.

I’m in touch with some men and women in Gaza, doctors, journalists, teachers, marketing specialists, and students whom I met on LinkedIn and communicate with via WhatsApp. Here’s a recent exchange with one of them:

S: To be honest with you, I just want to say thank you so much for your support. Even the stories that the world seems to have forgotten, you still remember them. I truly appreciate that more than I can express.
M: I think of you, your family, and everyone else in Gaza often during the day and at night when I get up.
S: It gives me strength to know that you still remember us. Your care reminds me that we are not alone.
M: Millions of us are with you and doing what we can to help, however small.
S: Thank you so much. Every bit of support, no matter how small, means the world to us in these difficult times.

There is nothing more that inspires me these days than the Palestinian people of Gaza.

What we, the millions of members of the global community who oppose genocide and the ideology behind it with every fiber of our being, can’t do, and what the people of Gaza desperately need, is to organize military resistance to the IOF. A show of force is the only action Israel will understand and acknowledge, and stop the IOF in its bloody tracks.

Peace, MAA