ANKARA/ISTANBUL
As Gaza endures one of the most devastating periods in its modern history, a Turkish woman who spent 24 years in the blockaded enclave remembers a life shaped by airstrikes, shortages and unwavering faith.
After getting married in 1999, Kevser Yilmaz Jarada moved to Gaza, where she lived for 24 years.
“I experienced the wars, blockades and hardships of the people of Gaza alongside them. I consider myself one of them, and I feel like a Gazan,” she told Anadolu.
Noting that until 2005, Israeli settlers who seized Palestinian land in Gaza lived in invisible zones, Jarada said: “They had a luxurious life inside farms, on vast lands, with their own schools and factories.”
While the local population struggled with severe economic difficulties and the conditions of the intifada, or uprising against Israeli occupation, Israeli settlers in Gaza enjoyed a comfortable life, she said.
“Gazans resisted and did not allow the occupiers to live comfortably on their own land. The people themselves cleared their land of the occupiers. After that period, there was not a single Jew left in Gaza,” she added.
'Life stops in Gaza, education does not'
Emphasizing that education is a priority in Gaza, Jarada said: “Life stops in Gaza, education does not. Even during war, education does not stop.”
Children would eat after school and then usually spend time in mosques, which functioned as social centers, she noted.
Jarada explained that crossing border gates in Gaza was extremely difficult, and students or patients had to register their names months in advance and wait for the approval list to be announced.
Electricity outages shaped daily life, she said, adding that electricity was supplied for 4-8 hours most of the time, and sometimes not at all.
“We planned our work around the hours when electricity came. If there was electricity at night, I would do laundry, ironing and food preparation then. We would rejoice when we got eight hours of power. Access to water was also limited," she said.
She added that water would sometimes only flow every two or three days, forcing families to fill and store tanks.
Yet even under those conditions, students completed their university education.
“Watching people in Gaza remain grateful through every difficulty taught us a valuable lesson,” she said.
Gazans never say ‘we give up’
Jarada stressed that hardships in Gaza made people resilient.
“Life was hard, but it always made them stronger. Gazans have strong faith; their psychology does not break easily. After a war, they quickly restore themselves and continue with life. They never say ‘we give up, we are finished’ because they know their destiny and live it.”
She travelled to Türkiye in the summer of 2023 for health reasons, and the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas erupted soon after. She said tensions had been rising and Gaza had seen near-annual clashes.
Jarada said violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem mobilized the people of Gaza.
“The people of Gaza sacrificed themselves to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque. They did not ask why the war started. Instead, they realized their own strength. In the end, there is a Gaza that has not been defeated for two years. Israel has neither been able to recover (all) its captives nor fully occupy Gaza. Therefore, Gaza is not defeated.”
Recalling the period after Oct. 8, 2023, she described intense bombardments and severe shortages under the Israeli blockade.
“People survived on well or seawater and even wild plants,” she said, adding that her own children endured two weeks on only water and once ground chicken feed to make bread.
She noted that Gaza’s health system largely collapsed as hospitals were hit, leaving many wounded untreated, while a deepening housing crisis forced thousands to live in tents or among the ruins.
'The people of Gaza know very well how to rebuild themselves'
Drawing attention to the “self-renewal reflex” of Gaza’s society, Jarada said: “As soon as a ceasefire happens, mosques are repaired and congregations gather again. It is the center of unity and solidarity. After every bombardment, homes are repaired, streets are cleaned and life continues from where it left off. The people of Gaza know very well how to rebuild themselves.”
She said Gazans were remarkably generous, and the 24 years there taught her gratitude, patience and solidarity.
She added that raising her children in Gaza was an honor and that the world has seen the people’s resilience and dignity.
“May we all pray together one day in a free Jerusalem,” she said.