The Gaza Twins Whose Whole Lives Have Been War
Palestinian twins Uday and Hamza Abu Odah have known nothing but war since birth. They came into the world on November 2, 2023. This was just weeks after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Israel’s response has shaped their every day.
The conflict started two years ago. It has brought death and ruin to Gaza’s 2 million people. Homes lie in rubble. Families face hunger and fear. The Gaza twins whose whole lives have been war now turn two. Their story shows the toll on the young.
Iman Abu Mutlaq is their mother. She held them first in Nasser Hospital’s maternity ward. The room was crowded with worried mothers. Bombs echoed outside. Israel had blocked supplies. Baby formula and diapers were scarce. Iman fed them what she could.
Early days were hard. The family fled Khan Younis. Israeli forces advanced. Shells hit their home. Shrapnel killed their father. He was trying to protect them. Grief struck deep. Iman packed what remained. They joined thousands displaced.
Now they live in a tent. It sits in Mawasi, a sandy strip in southern Gaza. The camp is makeshift. Plastic sheets flap in the wind. Water comes in heavy jugs. Iman bathes the boys in a bucket. She uses it for laundry too. Clean clothes are a luxury.
Food is another fight. The boys should walk by now. They turned 18 months in May. Uday takes a few steps. Hamza still crawls. A doctor blames calcium shortage. Gaza faces famine, says the IPC in August. Nearly all aid is cut. Mothers like Iman ration milk.
The twins play in the dirt. Their eyes hold fear. Drones hum overhead. Gunfire cracks at night. Iman watches them closely. “They cry at loud sounds,” she says. Trauma marks their small faces. Development lags behind.
Gaza’s cities are leveled. Critics call the strikes indiscriminate. Over 1.9 million are homeless. Schools stay closed. No safe play for kids. The Gaza twins whose whole lives have been war miss basics. Toys? Rare. Laughter? Fades with each boom.
Iman dreams of peace. She wants a real home for them. School to start soon. Food on the table daily. “They deserve childhood,” she says. But fear grips her. The war drags on. A new ceasefire plan is in talks. Israeli PM Netanyahu backs it. U.S. President Trump proposed it. Hamas partly agrees. Yet doubts linger. Will it hold?
Experts warn of lasting scars. Gaza’s new generation grows up scarred. The Gaza twins whose whole lives have been war lead the way. If fighting ends, hope might bloom. For now, Iman holds tight. She whispers stories of better days.
This family mirrors millions. The conflict’s second anniversary nears. October 7, 2025, marks two years. Loss piles high. But voices like Iman’s push for change. Aid must flow. Bombs must stop. Only then can twins like Uday and Hamza know calm.
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