How Plestia Alaqad Took To Social Media To Document Israel바카라�s War On Gaza

She turned 22 on December 10. Dense smoke, dust, debris, rubble, broken windows, discarded memories, lost homes, unidentified photo albums 바카라�these were her birthday gifts. She posted videos, photos, and journal entries chronicling the war and its impact on her homeland since October 7. Her Instagram handle @byplestia that used to be a space for posting her social life updates 바카라�her spending time at libraries, restaurants, or the beach at Gaza with her friends바카라� is no longer a virtual space for giving 바카라�life updates바카라�. It now works as evidence that she is still alive.

This is Plestia바카라�s journey 바카라� from the day her house was bombed to the present moment when she awaits a ceasefire.

October 9: Plestia walks through her neighbours바카라� houses and rushes to check on her parents. Deafening sounds of bombs, shaky window panes and smoke are the witnesses. The sounds of sirens intensify. A pause. Another bomb. Fortunately, she is still alive.  

October 10: In the impenetrable darkness, Plestia runs for her life. They have bombed some apartments in her building. But there is an update: 바카라�I still don바카라�t know how I made it out alive. TURNS OUT NOT THE WHOLE HOUSE IS BURNED.바카라�  

October 11: No electricity, no internet. No water. Ambulance can바카라�t even reach any place. She went to her house. Though it is still there, it is ravaged. Within the rubble of a nearby house, she finds family photographs, albums of unidentified people. Who are these people lost in the dust?

October 12: 바카라�You have 3 minutes to evacuate바카라� is what they hear every morning besides the sounds of sirens and bombs. Sometimes, one doesn바카라�t even get the warning. You have to run, but where to? Nobody knows. Plestia writes, 바카라�Basically I바카라�m talking about how I바카라�m feeling with all the evacuation that바카라�s going on. I met a young girl. Her name is Dana and she shared her experience with me 바카라� how she had to evacuate as well, turns out we바카라�re neighbours. Literally every Gazan at least had to evacuate once during this war.바카라�  

October 17: People are taking shelters across schools and hospitals in Gaza. Food, water, shelter 바카라� the basic necessities, are a privilege for them. Even then, a few children are smiling and trying to play바카라�perhaps in the hope that someday there will be light.

바카라�Now in Gaza, you바카라�re lucky if you바카라�re able to secure a place to sleep, food to eat, and water to drink,바카라� notes the young scribe.

October 18: Israelis have already bombed Al Ahly Hospital aka Al Maamdani Hospital. Around 1,000 civilians have been martyred according to eyewitnesses.

바카라�My beautiful hometown Gaza is becoming a ghost town...where u walk and smell death바카라�where u look and everything around you is bombed and destroyed바카라�where all u can hear are the sound of bombs, airstrikes, and kids crying and screaming from fear and pain바카라�바카라�

October 21: Two big trucks with humanitarian aid have entered Gaza. But that is nothing in terms of the requirement. They don바카라�t know whether they will wake up the next morning.

October 23: Plestia uploads photos of her diary. But truly everything is not to be shared for the stench of blood doesn바카라�t demand words anymore. Still, she writes because words may be the only way to express even at a time when words are not enough: 바카라�I lost words to describe what is happening. I have lost energy to even give a reaction.바카라�

October 29: Pages from her journal gradually becoming the courier of despondence. She wanted to be a writer바카라�one like Rupi Kaur. 바카라�But now, whenever I try to write a poem, nothing, literally nothing. The poem is a blank page with tears.바카라�  

October 30: She survived another day.

October 31: The nightmares are not over. But can there be hope at least in dreams? At 10.19 am after waking up, she writes, 바카라�Good morning. For the first time in weeks, I dreamt a nice dream. I don바카라�t really remember it, but what I know is I woke up happy because of the dream. I hope something good happens today.바카라�

November 5: As four peaceful swans were passing by the seashore, Plestia asked the car to stop once. There is still peace. There is still beauty in nature바카라�in surviving. Two seconds바카라� pause. Bombed again.

Plestia writes, 바카라�2 seconds later the sounds of bombs woke me up from the dreams that I바카라�m living in바카라�trying to find peace or a beautiful scene in Gaza doesn바카라�t last for more than two seconds바카라�its a dream바카라�an unrealistic dream.바카라�

November 9: They are now making bracelets with their names embossed on it. What if they die and nobody could identify? Still tying the bracelet is fun바카라�a bit of fun in the time of mourning.

In her words, 바카라�On the bright side, my cousins are keeping themselves busy with making bracelets바카라�on the negative side, they바카라�re making bracelets with everyone바카라�s name on it in case any family member dies, people will know his/her name바카라�everyone is traumatized.바카라�

November 12: A home painted on the wall of a hospital cubicle바카라�is it a dream of homecoming? Plestia zooms in: 바카라�Every Gazan is just dreaming of returning to his/her home바카라�I miss my house, I miss sleeping in my bed, I miss fighting with my sister on who will sleep on the couch, I miss making lunch in the kitchen, and I miss the sleepovers I used to have with my friends in my house바카라�I miss everything.바카라�

December 2: A man is kissing a gas cylinder! After weeks, it was his chance to fill it up. Is it enough to survive another few weeks or months maybe?

December 13: A little girl is trying to hide under a table. It is raining! Plestia used to love the rain. But now it is no longer the same. 바카라�Gaza doesn바카라�t have water so when it rains they get access to water, but at the same time people are in tents and whenever it rains, the tents drown바카라�it just feels that people in Gaza might die of the cold or starvation, not only from airstrikes.바카라�

December 17: 바카라�We are not numbers, we are people.바카라� There were lives바카라�there was laughter바카라�not only the headcounts. Plestia goes on to recount the time that was not today, not tomorrow, not yesterday maybe바카라�

바카라�I miss my life before the 7th of October바카라�I miss being able to sleep, I miss waking up in my bed every day, I miss doing my morning routine, I miss taking a shower, I miss going out with my friends, I miss tea time with my mom and sister in our living room, I miss staying up all night with my neighbour, and I miss having clothes to wear...I miss my house바카라�I miss Gaza and its sea and sunsets바카라�I literally miss everything.바카라�

It is 78 days and fortunately, she is still alive!

(Compiled by Abhik Bhattacharya from Instagram)