As Gaza endures one of the most devastating periods in its modern history, a Turkish woman who spent more than two decades in the blockaded enclave recalls a life shaped by airstrikes, shortages and unshakable faith.

After getting married in 1999, Kevser Yılmaz Jarada moved to Gaza, where she lived for 24 years.

"I experienced the wars, blockades and hardships of the people of Gaza alongside them. I consider myself one of them, and I feel like a Gazan,” she said.

Jarada said that until 2005, Israeli settlers who seized Palestinian land in Gaza lived in isolated, heavily secured areas, enjoying a standard of living far removed from that of the local population.

"They had a luxurious life inside farms, on vast lands, with their own schools and factories,” she said.

While Palestinians struggled with the harsh conditions of the Israeli occupation and the economic consequences of the intifada, Israeli settlers in Gaza lived comfortably, she noted.

"Gazans resisted and did not allow the occupiers to live comfortably on their own land. The people themselves cleared their land of the occupiers. After that period, there was not a single Jew left in Gaza,” she said.

Jarada emphasized that education has always been a cornerstone of life in Gaza, even during times of conflict. "Life stops in Gaza, education does not. Even during war, education does not stop,” she said.

She explained that children would eat after school and often spend their evenings in mosques, which served as both spiritual and social hubs. Crossing border gates, she said, was another major challenge. Students and patients were required to register their names months in advance and wait for approval before being allowed to leave.

Electricity shortages also defined everyday routines. "Electricity was supplied for four to eight hours most of the time and sometimes not at all,” she said. "We planned our work around the hours when electricity came. If there was electricity at night, I would do laundry, ironing and food preparation then. We would rejoice when we got eight hours of power.”

Water scarcity compounded the hardship. "Access to water was also limited,” she said. "Sometimes water would flow only every two or three days, so we filled and stored tanks.”

Despite those conditions, she said, Gazan students remained committed to education and completed their university studies. "Watching people in Gaza remain grateful through every difficulty taught us a valuable lesson,” she said.

Jarada said that the challenges of daily life in Gaza forged a remarkable resilience among its people. "Life was hard, but it always made them stronger,” she said. "Gazans have strong faith; their psychology does not break easily. After a war, they quickly restore themselves and continue with life. They never say ‘we give up, we are finished,’ because they know their destiny and live it.”

In the summer of 2023, Jarada traveled to Türkiye for health reasons. Soon after, war erupted between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. She said tensions had been rising long before the conflict began, with Gaza enduring near-annual flare-ups of violence.

According to Jarada, Israeli violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem were a major trigger for the people of Gaza. "The people of Gaza sacrificed themselves to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque,” she said. "They did not ask why the war started. Instead, they realized their own strength. In the end, there is a Gaza that has not been defeated for two years. Israel has neither been able to recover all its captives nor fully occupy Gaza. Therefore, Gaza is not defeated.”

Recalling the early days of the war that began on Oct. 8, 2023, Jarada described relentless bombardments, acute shortages and the collapse of basic infrastructure under the Israeli blockade.

"People survived on well or seawater and even wild plants,” she said, noting that her own children once endured two weeks with nothing but water. "We even ground chicken feed to make bread.”

She said that the health care system largely collapsed as hospitals were bombed, leaving thousands of wounded without treatment. A worsening housing crisis forced families to live in tents or among the ruins of destroyed buildings.

Despite unimaginable destruction, Jarada said Gazans have an extraordinary ability to rebuild their lives. "As soon as a cease-fire happens, mosques are repaired and congregations gather again,” she said. "It is the center of unity and solidarity. After every bombardment, homes are repaired, streets are cleaned, and life continues from where it left off. The people of Gaza know very well how to rebuild themselves.”

She described Gazans as remarkably generous and said that living among them for 24 years had taught her the virtues of gratitude, patience and solidarity. "Raising my children in Gaza was an honor,” she said. "The world has seen the people’s resilience and dignity. May we all pray together one day in a free Jerusalem.”