See moreAt the beginning of October 2023, Plestia Alaqad was a recent graduate with dreams of becoming a journalist. By the end of that November, her social media posts depicting daily life in Gaza amid Israel’s deadly invasion and bombardment would profoundly move millions of people. She would become internationally known as the ‘Eyes of Gaza’.
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 communities. From the epicentre of the turmoil, while bombs rain down and devastation reigns, she is witness to their emotions; their gentle acts of quiet, necessary heroism; and the moments of unexpected tenderness and vulnerability 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 is a deeply intimate love letter to a girl’s home: demolished before her eyes, but forever present in her heart.