In Gaza, people find moments of normalcy, joy and resilience despite the horrors of war

On Oct. 29, Maha al-Sarsak and the rest of her family in northern Gaza celebrated her daughter Habeeba’s fifth birthday. 

Habeeba invited a small group of friends to the family’s tent, and everyone gathered around a white plastic stool that served as a table. They all shared namoura, a Middle Eastern cake made with semolina flour and soaked in sugary syrup. 

Sarsak said that she wanted a bigger and better celebration for her daughter, but she didn’t have the means — their tent was all that they had.

“We used to have real parties with balloons, cakes and soda. There was music. It was really nice,” she said. 

The family lost everything in the Israel-Hamas war and were displaced from their home in northern Gaza early into the conflict. But she said that she uses every opportunity to create a sense of normalcy for her daughter, even if it’s just for a short few minutes.

There is likely no one among the more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza who hasn’t been touched by war in some way. Over 43,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks, and many have been injured and displaced. Most of Gaza is in ruins. Yet, among the daily horrors of war, people find moments of joy and resilience.  

“Memories are all we have as human beings,” Sarsak said, adding that she hoped to one day share a phone recording of the birthday with her daughter, once she’s older.

“I can show it to her and say, ‘Look Habeeba, we celebrated your birthday even in a tent. We had cake,’” Sarsak continued. 

The cake was a big deal because food, in general, is expensive — especially fresh produce. Anything they get is usually canned.

Producer Mohamed El Saif contributed to this report from Gaza.