Despite my initial concerns, I didn't think twice about going through the process and running for the Head of Beit laqia Municipality, because I am a woman with the expertise and abilities to take on responsibilities in front of my village's residents.

Being criticized and challenged is normal, as many people believe that women's roles in their communities and participation in decision-making are unacceptable, and this is exactly what I experienced, but family support and encouragement from those around and supporters helped me overcome these obstacles. I am honored to seek this position and to serve publicly as a member of the community accountability committee in the municipality of Samou, as well as a deputy of the Madad network with the Palestinian Alimony Fund.

We lived through harrowing nights during the war. One night, we slept on the pavement, homeless, without shelter or even a tent to shield us from the darkness and desolation. We were strangers in a foreign area, displaced, without a safe haven. I still cling to the hope that this war will end, and that we can return to our homes and the lives that were stolen from us. I will remain a witness to these tragedies, recounting them to the world, hoping to awaken a slumbering humanity.

Before the war, months earlier, specifically on November 14, 2022, I got engaged. I lived in my home with great happiness; I felt stability, safety, and love despite the surrounding circumstances. The war on Gaza started when I was in my last month of pregnancy, just as my due date was approaching. My family, neighbors, and all the residents of the neighborhood fled to the central region, specifically to the Nuseirat camp. On July 13, 2024, at exactly 10 a.m., three rockets shook the area, turning everything upside down. The tent collapsed on me, the tent couldn’t protect us from the shrapnel or even from the dust that filled the place. I hid between the mattresses and clothes, forgetting about my child and where he was. The rockets continued to fall in rapid succession, and I heard people screaming and the groans of the wounded. Thankfully, my neighbor came and pulled my son Khaled from under the sand and blankets, and helped me stand up and get out from under the rubble of the collapsed tent. My son had been buried under the sand, but we survived by a miracle. Until now, I can't believe what happened. That I am still alive, and that my son Khaled survived. I thank God for everything, and I hope the war ends so we can return to our homes in northern Gaza, and enjoy a life full of safety and peace.