The Eyes of Gaza: A Diary of Resilience

In early October 2023, Palestinian Plestia Alaqad was a recent graduate with dreams of becoming a successful journalist. By the end of November, she would be internationally known as the ‘Eyes of Gaza’. Millions of people would be profoundly moved by her social media posts depicting daily life in Gaza amid Israel’s deadly invasion and bombardment.

Written as a series of diary extracts, The Eyes of Gaza relates the horrors of Plestia’s experiences while showcasing the indomitable spirit of the men, women and children who share her community. From the epicentre of the turmoil, as bombs rain around her and devastation grips her people, she is witness to their emotions, their gentle acts of quiet, necessary heroism and the moments of unexpected tenderness amid the chaos.

Through the raw honesty and vulnerability of a normal twenty-one-year-old woman trying to make her way through a human tragedy, The Eyes of Gaza is a potent reminder of the horrors of violence and a powerful testament to the human spirit. It recounts a harrowing experience, but it is not a heartbreaking lamentation. Rather, it is a deeply intimate love letter to a girl’s home: demolished before her eyes, but forever present in her heart.