I survived the genocide in Gaza, but still carry its scars within me
A Gaza survivor describes how exile has not erased the habits, fears, and bodily memories left by war and siege.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
Ahmed Abu Artema reflects on how two years of war in Gaza and years of siege still shape his reactions in safety. Small things like charging a phone, saving food, or hearing a plane keep the trauma alive.
A man who escaped Gaza says his body still acts like danger is close. Even simple things like a phone battery, extra food, or a plane overhead remind him of war, like a smoke alarm that keeps ringing after the fire is gone.
Analysis
What the piece argues
Ahmed Abu Artema writes from exile nine months after leaving Gaza, describing how the genocide and earlier years of siege still live in his body and habits. He argues that trauma does not end when danger ends; it keeps showing up in ordinary moments.
Everyday things, altered by war
He gives small, concrete examples. In his new home, electricity is available all day, yet he still feels uneasy if his phone is not fully charged. In Gaza, charging a phone was a struggle shared with others, because electricity was largely unavailable and access to devices was tightly constrained. Even now, he says he feels safer when a battery is at 100 percent.
Food is another reminder. He recalls how starvation during the war made people rush to buy and store whatever they could when supplies briefly improved. In exile, he found himself buying extra food at first, then slowly learning to buy only what he needs for a few days. At the same time, he says his sensitivity to food waste remains strong, because discarded food in one place can mean survival elsewhere.
The sky as a trigger
The article ends with the sky itself as a source of memory. In Gaza, civilian planes were absent while warplanes and drones filled the air. In safety, the sound of planes still makes him look up and feel anxious. The piece suggests that physical safety does not instantly restore peace of mind, and that the body can keep responding as if the threat is still near.
Key points
- The author says exile has not erased the effects of two years of war and earlier siege in Gaza.
- He describes a constant urge to keep devices fully charged because electricity once had to be carefully rationed.
- He says war and starvation changed how he thinks about food, storage, and waste.
- The sound of planes still triggers anxiety because aircraft were tied to destruction in Gaza.
The article suggests that some war habits can soften over time, as he stops overbuying food and begins trusting steady electricity again. It also shows that noticing these patterns is part of healing, not a sign that recovery is impossible.
The deeper risk is that trauma may stay embedded for a long time, making ordinary sounds, shortages, or small inconveniences feel threatening. The piece also implies that memories of starvation and bombardment can keep shaping behavior even in safety.
