In Gaza a 13-year-old boy named Maher Abu Sakran got to talk to his family on the phone after being apart for roughly a year because of the fighting. Maher is staying at a camp for people who had to leave their homes‚ with his grandparents and cousins. He really misses his mom dad‚ sisters and little brother.
“Its enough war enough barriers. I want to go back“ Maher said
Maher and his family got split up a few days after the fighting started last year (in October 2023). He went with his grandparents to their house in the south where it was a bit safer at first. They didnt know theyd be apart for so long. The Israeli army then came into Gaza and split it in two making it hard to travel between north and south.
Maherʼs mom Asmaa Abu Sakran is worried about him: “When a boy is young and far away from his family far way from his mother far away from his father and far away from his siblings - what could happen - always anxious scared and unwell“
The war has been tough on everyone – Maherʼs family home got damaged; they had to move around a lot. Maher and his grandparents house in central Gaza got bombed too. Seven of his relatives including two uncles died.
Maher thinks about life before the war: going to school eating meals playing outside and taking trips to the beach. He hopes for peace saying “Its enough killing its enough killing of people. God willing we will go back to our houses safe. Its enough of rockets falling on us and weve had enough of living in tents“
The conflict started when Hamas attacked Israeli towns killing about 1‚200 people and taking 253 hostages (Israeli numbers). Israels response has destroyed much of Gaza and killed over 42‚000 people (Palestinian health authorities say)