**Gaza Speaks, And the World Must Listen**
We are the people of Gaza, not headlines, not numbers, not collateral damage.
We are students, workers, mothers, fathers, children. And we are exhausted.
We are being crushed, not only by Israeli bombs and siege, but by the silence of the world and the betrayal of those who claim to lead us.
Let it be said clearly:
Yes, Israel is the occupying power. It controls the borders, the skies, the sea. It is responsible for the siege, for the killing, for the destruction of our homes and our dreams. The occupation is the root of our suffering, and we will never forget that.
But this is not the full picture.
Our suffering is also deepened by a failed, corrupt leadership, both in Gaza and the West Bank, that has exploited our pain and ruled us through fear and control. We, the people, have paid the price for every failed strategy, every factional war, every empty slogan.
And now, we are paying again, with our blood, our hunger, and our dignity.
Let the world understand what it means to live in Gaza today.
To eat bread is a miracle.
A kilo of flour today costs as much as 25 kilos did before October 7.
White flour is nearly unaffordable. Many families now grind lentils or rice to survive, turning soup into flour, and hunger into a daily reality.
Fruits? A memory.
Vegetables? Priced like luxury imports.
Even water and firewood, the bare essentials of life, are controlled and politicized.
But here is a truth many don’t see:
**Food doesn’t enter Gaza freely, it arrives through hands soaked in power, privilege, and corruption.**
Instead of going straight to the hungry, it passes through layers of control. It is handled by those who see it as profit, not salvation. Some of them take a portion, or a price, before the rest is given out.
Money meant to help the people is often intercepted or redirected by those who rule without mercy or conscience.
They wear the mask of leadership, but act without humanity.
Aid becomes a business. Hunger becomes a tool of control. And we, the people, are left to beg for scraps.
What kind of world watches children starve and calls it politics?
We are not just dying from bombs, we are being drained by a system designed to humiliate us.
We don’t want your pity.
We want justice.
We want accountability, not only for the crimes of occupation, but for those among us who have betrayed our people.
We are tired.
Tired of war.
Tired of slogans.
Tired of being used, by enemies and supposed allies alike.
This is not just a humanitarian crisis.
It is a political one.
It is a moral one.
And if the world still has a conscience, it must stand with Gaza not just in words, but in action.
Stop the killing.
Stop the hunger.
Stop the lies.
Gaza is alive.
And Gaza will remember who stood with us, and who didn’t.
الله غالب
Fares Abulebda
25 May 2025