Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation

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When Israel finally accepted a ceasefire in Gaza in October 2025, I thought the river of blood and loss had finally stopped, and that I would no longer have to live through the same feelings of grief again. But that hope did not last long. Since the so-called ceasefire came into effect, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has recorded the killings of more than 1,100 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by Israeli army fire to this day.

For many outside Gaza, it seemed as if the war had ended. For those of us inside Gaza, death did not stop; it simply became less visible in the headlines, while it continued to break into homes and leave families devastated.

On the morning of June 4, 2026, around 8:00, I opened my phone to check the latest news. The first thing that appeared was a video published by Al Jazeera, showing a residential apartment completely engulfed in flames, with a headline reporting the death of members of the Lubbad family. Among the names of the victims, I read the name “Manar Lubbad.”

I froze for a moment.

I tried to convince myself that it was not my teacher. I kept repeating that for minutes, until I saw a post by teacher Ola Halabi, whom I met in 2019 when I was in 11th grade, and who had been an intern under Manar Lubbad.

“Ceasefire” May Be the Official Headline, But in Gaza, We Face Constant Bombing

I remember the first day Halabi entered our class. Lubbad placed her hand on her shoulder and said to us: “This is my student; I taught her in high school, and today she returns to me as a trainee teacher.” Then she began speaking about her morals and dedication, advising us to respect Halabi as we respected her.

That was the first time we met Halabi, but our teacher’s words made us feel as if we had known her........

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