51³Ô¹ÏÍø

DEIR AL-BALAH, PALESTINE - JUNE 28: A Palestinian girl in Deir al-Balah suffering from respiratory failure clings to life amid the Israeli blockade through drawing, her favourite activity since childhood. Yasemin Abu Sharifa views drawing as a means of temporary escape from the harsh realities she faces. Sharifa battles respiratory failure on top of the challenges that all Palestinians encounter in the besieged Gaza Strip. Sharifa listed the immediate hardships she endures every day, such as the lack of privacy in the tent city and the suffocating air inside the tent, which is so unbearable that they often delay lunch to avoid additional heat. "We have to delay lunch because of the heat, and we wait until it's cooler so we can sit by the fire or cook," said Sharifa. Sharifa's respiratory failure aggravates the problems for her. A diligent student, Sharifa aspires to be a doctor although the conditions under which she lives have introduced a tinge of uncertainty into her life. "I want to study, become a doctor, and if an opportunity rises, I want to go abroad. Everything is gone now. I don't know if I will be able to continue or not," Sharifa expressed her desire. Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas. Nearly 37,900 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and around 87,000 others injured, according to local health authorities. Over eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine. (Footage by Anas Zeyad Fteha/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)