From Khan Younis: Maha's Story
We returned to Khan Younis on May 13th, only to find our city reduced to a lifeless desert
My name is Maha Mohammad Ahmad. I live in the south of Gaza, Khan Younis city. I am a mother of two sons, Hamza, who is 15 years old, and Qusai, who is 12. My husband’s name is Mahmoud Ahmad, and he used to work as a taxi driver. Before October 7th, I lived in a small, warm home filled with love, mercy, and peace. I worked as an English teacher, a profession I’ve been devoted to for over 15 years. During those years, I put in tremendous effort to build a safe and loving home for my family, a shelter from the hardships of life. I was passionate about my work and received many awards for excellence in education.
Every morning, my husband would leave to earn some money by driving his taxi, while our sons would head to school to learn, grow, and build a better future. Life was simple, kind, and full of gratitude. We never complained. We were always thankful to God for everything we had.
But everything changed after October 7th.
On the morning of October 7th, I was getting ready for work, my children were preparing for school, and my husband was getting ready to head out in his taxi. It was just an ordinary morning until suddenly, we were shaken by the sound of explosions and rockets everywhere. That was the beginning of the war.
On December 22nd, 2023, the building next to ours my uncles’ was bombed. That same night, our apartment was heavily damaged. By the grace of God, we survived, but we lost our warm, safe home. It was no longer livable.
Then, on January 22nd, 2024, the Israeli forces invaded western Khan Younis. Like the rest of the city, we were forced to flee to central Gaza. We returned to Khan Younis on May 13th, only to find our city reduced to a lifeless desert; flattened, buried under tons of rubble. A city completely destroyed.
Now, my children have no school, no home. I lost my job. My husband lost his taxi, which was his only source of income. We lost life as we knew it. We lost our freedom. We lost every human right. Everything was taken from us, for no reason.
My eldest son suffers from partial brain atrophy due to lack of oxygen during birth. Before the war, I used to buy him medication. Now, I can’t even afford food. How can I afford medicine?
Our life, our memories, even our future; wiped out. What color is left in our world? What future can we dream of? We have literally lost everything. And for what?
Maybe just because we are Palestinians.
We are not just numbers.
We are families, mothers, fathers, and children. People who once had dreams, jobs, schools, and homes.
Today, that home is gone.
Our city is destroyed.
My children have no school.
My husband has no work.
And I have no way to provide even the basic necessities for my family.
We are not asking for luxury, we are asking for survival.
We are asking for a chance to rebuild something from the ashes.This is my story, and the story of every mother in Gaza, the story of every woman in Gaza.
You can support Maha and her family via this link.