Voices from Gaza: Life and expectations after three years of war

(7 Oct 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Gaza City, Gaza Strip - 6 October 2026 1. Various of destroyed buildings 2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Raed Khozeiq, resident of the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City: ”We have endured three years of incredibly difficult life stages. No country in the world has gone through what we have experienced here: a war of extermination, starvation, the absence of schools and universities—nothing remains. The situation is dire.” 3. Various of Khozeiq lighting fire inside his heavily damaged home 4. Various of damaged buildings 5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Walid Akram, Gaza City resident: “Since October 7th, we have lived a life we never imagined. We did not flee Gaza to the south; we stayed here. We witnessed death, destruction, and bombardment—that we had never known before. We were repeatedly displaced—from the Thalathini area to Al-Sahaba, then to Sheikh Radwan, and finally to Al-Zaytoun. It was an incredibly arduous existence.” 6. Various of people living inside heavily damaged home 7. Various of Afaf Melh, from Gaza City, filling water outside her destroyed house 8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Afaf Melh, Gaza City resident: "I lost everything. My home is gone—destroyed and on the verge of collapse. Yet, we still live in it, wishing it would simply collapse in on us so we could finally find rest from this life." 9. Various of destroyed neighborhood 10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mahmoud Khozeiq, Gaza City resident: ”Look at my home—this used to be my home. I lived here with dignity alongside my brothers; now, nothing remains. My brother is forced to live in a single room with four or five children—why? He used to live in a home with two bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom and two living rooms, working happily, he lost his vehicle and his work. Why has it come to this?” 11. Various of destruction 12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammed Al-Melh, Gaza City resident: ”Tragedy, humiliation, suffering—what kind of life have we been living? You can see the suffering and the life we are forced to endure.” 13. Various of destruction 14. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hussein Talaat, Gaza City resident: “A tragic life, a difficult situation—from displacement to another. Before we were even displaced, we were bombed right here; my aunt-in-law, my sister, my cousins, and their children were all killed. These were our homes; they struck us repeatedly. Other cousins of mine were also hit and injured; some are now abroad receiving treatment, while others have been left without their mothers and fathers.” 15. Various of tents of displaced people near destroyed buildings 16. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sultana Hilles, displaced from eastern Gaza: “We have no shelter; we wonder whether one place or another is safe. warplanes are everywhere, and the bombing and strikes are constant. There is no food, no safety—nothing at all.” 17. Various of people walking along street lined with destroyed buildings 18. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ghalia Al-Hadidi, displaced from eastern Gaza: ”We have been in agony for three years—suffering known only to God. We have found no rest; the torment continues. In this October 7th, we have been asking ourselves what is happening—only God knows. What will become of us? Only God knows. Every day brings bombing, martyrs, and the wounded. Every single day. We wake up at night and at dawn to the sound of bombing here and there; there is still no safety.” 19. Various of tents near destroyed buildings 20. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ghalia Al-Hadidi, displaced from eastern Gaza: ”We hope for safety, shelter, and peace of mind. We need everything, yet we have none of it." STORYLINE: Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...