Israel today is a nation burdened by trauma, searching for answers and, often, for revenge. The streets are slowly coming back to life, but they look unnatural. Young reservists must carry their weapons while on duty. The faces of Israeli hostages are reproduced in storefronts and government buildings along with three words that have now become a rallying cry: “Bring them home.”
Newsstands and television screens repeatedly show scenes of Hamas crimes. These photos show the Israeli army in Gaza. But they rarely show what happens to civilians.
The Palestinians there are terrified and exhausted. The pace of death is so rapid, and the possibility of starvation so close, that residents say they do not have enough time to mourn or process their losses. Fear – how to survive the night, how to find a little food – is a more urgent constant.
With more than two-thirds of the homes now destroyed, much of Gaza has virtually disappeared.
About this story
Photography in Israel and the West Bank by Salwan George, and photography in Gaza by Louay Ayoub. Story text written by Louisa Lovelock. Design and development by Yutao Chen. Edited by Olivier Laurent and Reem Akkad. Copy editing by Martha Murdock.
