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Widow Zenab, whose daughter Laila arrived by C-section in June, said: ‘ I hope my baby never sees what I saw and that she will never know what war feels and looks like.’
Gazing adoringly at her newborn, Zenab’s face paints a picture of motherly love.
But tender moments like these are rare in war-torn Gaza where death casts a shadow over life. Little Laila arrived by C-section in June after her mother braved a two-hour journey passing flattened buildings and ghost towns in the stricken enclave.
By contrast, Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat Camp – where up to 55 women are said to give birth daily – was abuzz with activity. Then aged 33, Zenab was discharged just two hours after the procedure. “I am so happy to have the most beautiful girls in the universe,” she told Yousef Ruzzi, a photographer working for the charity, CARE International, who accompanied her to hospital. “I hope I can raise them in the best possible way and educate them in the best schools and universities in the world.”
Zenab’s husband was said to have been killed in December trying to find food for the family. “My husband would have been so happy and proud. I just want this war to end. I wish peace for all of us; for everyone,” she said. “Enough is enough with all this destruction. Enough with all this death, enough. I hope my baby never sees what I saw and that she will never know what war feels and looks like.”
Mother-of-two Zenab, who discovered she was pregnant just three days before the war started, was once pulled from the rubble of her house with her other daughter in late 2023. Zenab, who has been helped by CARE, is said to live in a tent in the south of Gaza with three-year-old Lila and four-month-old Laila.
In August, the charity provided her with a baby kit – they include nappies, shampoo, formula milk, hygiene products, as well as sanitary and nursing pads. Ruzzi said: “Like Zenab, most pregnant women had few or no check-ups to make sure their growing baby is healthy, and to see whether they suffer from pre-eclampsia or anaemia, both leading causes for maternal death. They have not benefited from the care, respect, and safety mothers-to-be should be getting.
“Many of them won’t know if their baby is in the right position, if they will have twins, or whether there are signs of preterm labour. On the contrary, like Zenab, they have experienced extreme stress and fear during their pregnancies, struggling to protect and nourish themselves and their babies. Pregnant women in Gaza face starvation, dehydration, death or injury from airstrikes, and dying from otherwise preventable pregnancy complications.”
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack on Israel, which left some 1,200 dead. Over 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory offensive, according to local health authorities.
Zenab’s story comes as the Disasters Emergency Committee has this week launched a Middle East Humanitarian Appeal to raise funds to help those whose lives have been devastated by conflict. The DEC brings together 15 leading charities including CARE, some of whom are supporting relief efforts in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank.
Since the launch of the appeal – supported by celebs including Myleene Klass and Ruth Wilson – over £11 million had been raised. The King and Queen were among the first to donate, with the Prince and Princess of Wales also contributing, DEC said. *Zenab and the names of her children have been changed.To support the appeal please visit dec.org.uk
