Since October 2023, the world has watched Gaza from afar.

Two years of all-out war obliterated the blockaded enclave, with Israel saying it bombed 40,000 targets in the first year alone. Satellite imagery suggests at least 69% of all buildings have been destroyed, and an estimated 70,000 Palestinians have died.

Although a ceasefire in October 2025 has halted the large-scale fighting that had devastated the enclave, it has not ended Israeli strikes. Israel says such operations are intended to prevent attacks by Hamas; Hamas says Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire.

Israel has not allowed foreign journalists into Gaza since October 2023, citing security concerns. But even under blockade and bombardment, information can still emerge. Gazans have been able to tell their stories.

These are the Voices of Gaza.

The rubble remover

"I'm Abdulmutalib Sabah Halawa, from Jabalia. We remove the rubble from destroyed homes by hand, using sledgehammers, buckets, and shovels.

"Residents come to us every day, asking us to recover the bodies of their daughters and women from beneath the rubble. We also clear the debris to make enough space for families to return and live in what remains of their homes.

"This isn't just demolition work. We're risking our lives here. We're selling our blood just to earn a living. We keep working with our bare hands, despite the absence of a ceasefire and the lack of heavy machinery. We have no choice but to clear the rubble ourselves.

"All of these children work with me to help provide food for their families. This job is full of danger, but we're forced to do it so I can survive and so the people working with me can support their families as well."

The librarian

"The Phoenix Library is built around the idea of rebirth. Most of the books here were rescued from beneath the rubble and ashes, which is why we named it the Phoenix Library.

"My relationship with books began when I was 15 years old. I realized that the Israeli occupation was monitoring and shaping our Palestinian curriculum, and I felt that without independent reading, we would become nothing more than tools in its hands.

"That was the moment I started buying books – so I could read freely. One book led to another until I had built a personal library of about 400 books.

"When the Israeli military forced us to flee Beit Hanoun, the first thing I thought about taking with me was my library. On the morning of October 8, I managed to evacuate only half of it. There were too many stages of displacement to carry everything to Gaza City.

"As I saw the systematic destruction of cultural centers, schools, universities and libraries, I felt it had become my responsibility – and the responsibility of every educated person in Gaza – to save whatever books remained beneath the rubble.

"We have also rescued books from many destroyed libraries. Among them are rare volumes that are more than 50 or 60 years old, including books printed in Gaza before 1948. These are part of Palestine's cultural heritage.

"I found countless books that had been burned or badly damaged. Some were extremely valuable, especially those printed in Gaza before 1948. They represent an important part of Palestinian history and cultural heritage.

"Seeing important books being burned just so people could cook their food was one of the most heartbreaking scenes I witnessed. I hope that people living in tents and those displaced across Gaza will one day return to books and learning once again."