Young Gazan girl shares story of tragic childhood in war-torn enclave

China

Young Gazan girl shares story of tragic childhood in war-torn enclave

2025-10-08 16:13 Last Updated At：21:27

A young girl in the war-torn Gaza Strip has bravely shared the horrors she has experienced over the last two years since the conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted, leaving her childhood filled with unimaginable tragedy and hardship as every day remains a struggle for survival.

Saba Al-Bardini, a 12-year-old girl from Gaza, has faced what no child should have to endure since the deadly conflict broke out, as she has seen her school blown up, close friends killed, and her hometown reduced to rubble.

"Before October 7, 2023, we had everything: schools, backpacks. But now, we have nothing," said Saba.

A building that has been partially blown up amid the conflict and has been left tilted at a precarious angle is now the home of Saba's family of six. Young Saba remains worried that this dilapidated house might collapse at any time, but there is no other open space or available tents in which they can safely move, leaving them living among these desperate ruins.

During the Israeli army's relentless bombing campaign, the family only had time to salvage a few pieces of personal clothing. Now, when Saba gets home, she is often too cold to sleep.

"We can't even keep warm because there are no blankets. In the past, I had my own clothes, but now I can only wear my mother's clothes. Winter is coming, and I have no winter clothes. Even my mother has only two sets of pajamas. We can only take turns wearing them. We really have no clothes," she said.

Like many in Gaza, the family can only rely on the limited food they receive from the charity kitchen. What's even worse is that due to the severe shortage of water resources, clean drinking water is an expensive commodity that few can afford. To save money, Saba's family can only drink unfiltered water, and often scrape together pieces of wood just to get a fire started.

"Four liters of water costs 6 new shekels (about 1.83 U.S. dollars). My father doesn't even have money to buy water. He tries his best to provide us with everything, but there is nothing he can do," said the girl. Living among these ruins, danger lurks at every corner. One time while cooking, a falling rock nearly hit Saba's two-month-old brother. Fortunately, his father acted quickly to shield the toddler with his body. Another time, Saba and his sister were hit by debris as they slept but luckily survived.

To fend off the pain in her heart and also find something to take her mind off the horrors unfolding around her, Saba enjoys stringing beads together. It's a simple activity that gives her small comfort and a chance to escape the harsh realities occurring all around her, as she clings to the glimmer of hope that the current tortures of life in Gaza may one day change and allow her to lead a more normal life.

"Every time the bombing occurs, all the beads will fall off and I have to collect them again. I hope to go back to school, but it has been blown up. I really hope I can go back to study and continue our life," she said.

Life was far different just two years ago, when Saba enjoyed attending school and playing with her friends. But now, most of her young peers have tragically lost their lives. Whenever they are mentioned, Saba cries sadly for her friends who have sadly gone forever.

"We used to meet at a place every once in a while. But the last time they were waiting for me, they were bombed and all of them were killed," she said.

The darkness of the present day cannot fully extinguish the memories Saba holds of her hometown before the war, as she recalls a land full of vitality, with supermarkets on the streets, her home well-stocked with goods, and life full of hope for the future. However, this Gaza no longer exists, as Saba can only pray the horrors of this brutal war can finally end.

"Every day people die and every day there are funerals. Many people in my father's family have passed away. We can't turn to anyone for help. We just want to say to the whole world: have pity on us, we are already tired of this war," she said.

Data released on Tuesday by Gaza's health authorities shows that Israeli military operations over the past two years have killed 67,173 Palestinians, including 20,179 children, 10,427 women, and 4,813 elderly people. This is the first time the authorities have published an overall death toll broken down by age and gender.

Before the conflict, Gaza's population was estimated at 2.3 million. This means roughly one in every 33 residents -- about 3 percent of the pre-war population -- has been killed. With over 20,000 children among the dead, the figures suggest an average of 28 children have died every day during the past two years.

Shenzhou-20 astronauts share experiences after safely returning from debris incident

The three astronauts of China's recently-returned Shenzhou-20 mission on Friday shared the experiences of their dramatic 204-day space mission, including detailing the emergency procedures which were implemented to bring them safely home after their return capsule was struck by space debris.

The trio -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie -- met with the press in Beijing on Friday afternoon, marking their first public appearance since returning to Earth in November.

When detailing the emergency response mechanisms which were enacted prior to their scheduled return, the astronauts explained that upon discovering a triangular crack on the spacecraft's viewport window, they immediately took photos for documentation and transmitted them to the ground team, who swiftly activated an emergency plan to get the trio home safely.

Experienced mission commander Chen Dong explained how the crew had complete faith in their colleagues on the ground to find a solution to these unforeseen circumstances which led to their return being delayed.

"First, we must trust the ground team, who would anticipate everything and develop the safest return plan for us. Second, we must believe in ourselves; as well-trained astronauts, we have the ability to manage various unexpected failures. I believe that with the collaboration of astronauts and researchers on the ground, our space home will surely go farther, more steadily, and for a longer time," he said.

Following their extended stay in space as a result of the debris incident, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent a total 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest duration by a single group of Chinese astronauts.

During their mission, they completed multiple payload operations, conducted extensive scientific experiments, and carried out four extravehicular activities.

"Our crew worked together with the ground team in unity and coordination, completing four extravehicular activities, several payload entry and exit tasks, and a large number of scientific experiments. It was a fulfilling yet challenging mission. The path to exploring the heavens is long and arduous, but I firmly believe that China's space missions will succeed," said Chen Zhongrui, a former air force pilot who was making his first spaceflight during the mission.

"From the ground to space, from learning to application, I have deeply felt the solid progress of Chinese space endeavors and the quiet dedication of countless personnel behind the scenes. In the future, I will accomplish each mission with full commitment, living up to the trust of the motherland and the people," said fellow astronaut Wang Jie, who was also making his debut spaceflight.

After returning to Earth on Nov 14, the trio successfully completed their isolation recovery and rehabilitation and will now resume normal training following health assessments.

The crew's return, originally scheduled for Nov 5, was postponed due to safety concerns, with the astronauts later using the return capsule belonging to their successor crew of the Shenzhou-21 mission to get back to Earth. China later launched the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft which will serve the future return of the crew now aboard the Tiangong Space Station.