Hanan Barghouth sits beneath the stairs of a destroyed school in Khan Younis, barely shielded from the cold and rain. She was forced to flee her home in the Al-Nasr neighborhood of Gaza due to continuous bombing, and now lives in the ruins of a place that was once a safe haven for children.
Her days are spent searching for water and scraps of food to feed her family. Paper, once used for learning, is now her only way to light a fire and cook. Despite the harsh reality, Hanan holds on to hope and refuses to adapt to this life. “I don’t want to get used to war,” she says. For her, this is only a temporary phase — she dreams of returning to her home, her school, and a life filled with peace.