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DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA STRIP, PALESTINE - APRIL 24: In the battered streets of Deir al-Balah in Gaza, Maha al-Sarsak, a 15-year-old displaced Palestinian girl, takes on the daunting task of washing laundry for her fellow displaced Palestinians. Amidst the rubble and the shadows of the Israeli blockade, Maha's daily struggle for water becomes a testament to resilience and survival. Under the dire conditions caused by the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, Palestinians find themselves compelled to resort to various means to sustain their lives, including children. As the eldest sibling, Maha shoulders the weight of financial responsibility, striving to contribute to the family's meager budget amidst the challenging circumstances imposed by the blockade. Living in a tent with limited access to water, Maha navigates a perilous journey to find water sources, sometimes facing snakes and long treks to fetch water. "Sometimes, I go far from my place to fetch water. It's not always available. Sometimes, I don't find water," she said, highlighting the grim reality of daily life under siege. Israel has launched a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed nearly 1,200 people. More than 34,200 Palestinians have since been killed and 77,200 others injured amid a tight siege imposed by Israel, which left the entire population, especially residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation. More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN. (Footage by Gevara Talal Jamal Safadi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)