Fearful in Gaza: Childhood, memory, and survival in the Strip

Fearful in Gaza: Childhood, memory, and survival in the Strip

In late January 2026, Palestinian author and academic Abdalhadi Alijla sent me a copy of his new book, Fearful in Gaza. I was expecting an experiential account of the Gaza dilemma, one among many — but it was not. I began reading it on a flight from Manchester to Cairo, a familiar route I had previously taken to reach Gaza, setting off from Cairo into the Sinai Desert on an arduous, uncertain journey. Although I was not going to Gaza this time —…