Gazan People: A Spirit of Hope in the Body of Gaza, Proud with Its Children Gazan volunteers restore the shine of burnt books and manuscripts.

Amid the dust of burned books and manuscripts, the people of Gaza stand as a living symbol of resilience and determination to live, despite the near-total loss of normal life in the Strip. In the old library of Great Omari Mosque, Gazan volunteers tirelessly clean and restore the books, as if breathing life into the ashes, affirming that the spirit of Palestine never dies.

They pay no mind to bombing, hunger, or the destruction surrounding them on all sides. Preserving their cultural heritage and knowledge is a national responsibility, and knowledge itself is life, their strongest weapon against oppression and challenges.

Restoring the Shine to the Books

Every book they save, every manuscript they restore, is a silent message to the world: we, the people of Gaza, despite all the pain, choose life as Palestine is, preserving our memory and safeguarding our future through knowledge and learning.

With every brushstroke and every speck of dust removed, it becomes clear that these volunteers assert: one must be responsible for their country, and education is not a luxury, but a duty, a right, and a means for survival and dignity, even amid the ruins of war.

In addition to work in the library, the people of Gaza engage in small initiatives in their neighborhoods to bring life back to their areas—from planting greenery on balconies to rehabilitating schools and parks. Every effort, however small, is a declaration of defiance, embodying their belief that life can bloom even under the hardest circumstances.

Children and youth also participate, reading the restored books and writing essays and stories about their daily experiences, becoming guardians of Palestinian culture and memory. In Gaza, the determination to live does not stop at the adults’ limits, but is planted in future generations to create a future that understands the value of homeland, knowledge, and learning.