The courtyard of Um Ihab’s family home in Jabalya, northern Gaza, once flourished with citrus trees. Every weekend, dozens of relatives would gather there for celebrations. Um Ihab, a Palestinian grandmother, would adorn the house with gold streamers and colorful balloons, showering white confetti from the ceiling. However, last winter, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the house, forcing at least 30 members of the Ihab family to flee the neighborhood where three generations had lived. They now reside in a cramped tent in the yard of a displacement shelter in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
During the six-month-long conflict in Gaza, Israel's military offensive has devastated neighborhoods, depleted essential supplies, and caused severe hunger and thirst. Many Palestinians have sought refuge in outdoor tent camps, struggling to find enough food or water.
For elderly Gazans who have experienced a lifetime of war, the recent fighting has compounded years of suffering under partial blockade. Instead of celebrating life, they now mourn death. Um Ihab and others like her are desperately trying to keep their families together, but their age and poor health make daily survival even more challenging.
Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza on October 7 in response to the militant group Hamas's actions, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people and the abduction of more than 250 others.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Israeli attacks have killed at least 33,091 Palestinians and injured another 75,750 people. Due to the lack of international media access, CNN cannot independently verify these figures.
As Israel's offensive in Gaza reaches its six-month mark, international bodies and human rights advocates are calling for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire. Human Rights Watch and Oxfam have accused Israel of carrying out "indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks in violation of international law" and imposing collective punishments on the civilian population.
Approximately 111,500 older Gazans are among those most at risk of hunger, dehydration, illness, injury, and death, according to HelpAge International.
Um Ihab reflects on her former life of dignity and abundance, now lost. She plays with her grandchildren in the tent, singing a song about stolen childhood in Arabic. The family's reality is evident as they try to comfort their children while Israeli drones buzz overhead.
"We wake up every day thinking it’s a dream," Um Ihab says. "You can hear the voices around us… We’re not used to this. We are used to living independently."
The Israeli offensive has displaced at least 1.7 million people in Gaza, according to the UN. Palestinians who lived in traditional extended family homes are now crammed into improvised shelters with no privacy. Makeshift tents are too flimsy to withstand winter weather, and grandparents beg on the streets for food, water, and infant formula.
"We are not asking for much, we are asking for the bare minimum," Um Ihab says.
The severe restrictions on aid entering Gaza have exposed the entire population of more than 2.2 million to the risk of famine, according to a UN-backed report. Virtually all households skip meals every day, and one in three children under two are "acutely malnourished."
Um Ihab and her family often can only afford lentil soup, as market supplies are thin and food prices have skyrocketed. She stirs a pot of soup over a pile of firewood, tears streaming down her face from the smoke.
Um Ihab's husband, who suffered a stroke 12 years ago, died in the tent from severe malnutrition. He spent 55 days without eating anything, as there was no food or yogurt available. Um Ihab blames his death on the lack of hygiene and electricity in the tent.
His story is not unique, as displacement shelters in Gaza are ill-equipped to support elderly Palestinians who require specialized care. Women of all ages also face an increased risk of violence, exploitation, and abuse.
Elderly Gazans with underlying health conditions struggle to access life-saving medication due to Israel's restrictions on the entry of goods. Limited electricity supply means vulnerable individuals cannot power assistive devices, and they may have less access to the internet, missing crucial food distribution alerts.
For Um Ihab, the weeks since her husband's death have been haunted by the indignity of his passing. She finds little solace in faith, as she and others in Gaza fear meeting the same fate as their ancestors who fled during al-Nakba, the catastrophe of 1948.
Despite the immense challenges, Um Ihab tries to find respite along the beaches of central Gaza, where she reflects on her past life of comfort and joy. Now, she comes to the sea to complain about her worries, hoping for a better future.