Gaza

For many of us, virtual reality experiences are few and far between. And the ones we encounter typically involve gaming. But for two Palestinian artists, virtual reality means more than entertainment — it’s cultural preservation. Their project, titled “Phoenix of Gaza XR”, is currently making its way across a handful of Massachusetts universities, and will tour across the country, in a series of exhibitions, many of which are open to the public. GBH’s Kate Dellis has the story.

As the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continues to hold, Palestinians have been making their way back to their homes in Gaza. But many of them are finding that their homes are gone. The UN estimates that 70% of the total structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed and that it could take decades just to clear the rubble.

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 lies in ruins. Yet, people are persevering and nurturing each other when and where they can. 

Israel has conducted thousands of strikes in Gaza and Lebanon since the start of the current war last October. Footage shot by witnesses, as well as survivors’ testimonies, raise serious ethical and legal questions about some of those attacks.

The World’s Host Marco Werman speaks with Tahani Mustafa, senior Palestine analyst with the International Crisis Group, about a weekend airstrike on a school in Gaza that was being used to shelter civilians.