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The Olive Press

From Pallet to Purpose: If Wood Could Speak

by Anera

Jul 8, 2025

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I arrived in Gaza in pieces – slats once tasked with carrying medicines, food and aid across borders and through a blockade. I bore the weight of life-saving cargo, stiff from the strain of movement; ships groaned beneath me, trucks jostled me over pockmarked roads, planes carried me across continents. Then, for weeks, I was…

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The Silent Crisis

by Anera

Apr 23, 2025

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Mental Health and Economic Hardship in Lebanon The aftermath of the war in Lebanon and the continued Israeli strikes, compounded by years of political instability and economic collapse, has taken a devastating toll on its people, particularly its youth. The effects go far beyond financial struggles — mental health has emerged as an urgent issue,…

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What Life is Like in Bethlehem

Dec 23, 2024

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I’m from Bethlehem, Palestine. This is my home. My family has been rooted here for generations. I have spent my entire life in this city—47 years born and raised. I’ve been with Anera since 1999, marking 25 years as of last month. I hold a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance and a master’s in…

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Celebrating Life in Gaza: Happy Birthday, Hayat!

Dec 13, 2024

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Today marks one year since you entered this world. Your name, Hayat, means “life,” but this first year has been anything but. It’s been a year of grinding displacement, hunger, and struggle. We’ve moved back and forth between Deir Al Balah and Rafah, never knowing where we’ll end up next. The only refuge I can…

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Pregnant in a War Zone: My Journey of Love, Fear, and Survival

Dec 10, 2024

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We are pleased to welcome Tahani as Anera’s new communications officer in Gaza. She wrote this piece last month, prior to joining Anera, and has since given birth to a healthy baby boy. I am nine months pregnant, in Gaza, under the relentless strain of Israeli warfare. Every morning, I rise with the weight of…

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Observing Nakba Day

by Anera

May 15, 2024

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For Palestinians around the world, May 15th marks the “Nakba” (literally “disaster” or “catastrophe” in Arabic) which commemorates the 1948 Palestinian exodus during the establishment of the State of Israel. Nakba Day 2022 For Palestinians around the world, May 15th marks the “Nakba” (literally “disaster” or “catastrophe” in Arabic) which commemorates the 1948 Palestinian exodus…

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Reviving the Tradition of Community Kitchens in Gaza

by Anera

Feb 2, 2024

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Anera is delivering food to displaced, hungry families in Gaza through community kitchens we’re calling tekia (takiyya, tkiya), based on a beautifully simple concept that began almost 10 centuries ago. Historians differ on the exact the word to describe these kitchens – tekia, ‘imaret, aqhane or darü’z-ziyafe – but what we know for sure is…

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A Primer on Gaza

by Anera

Jan 11, 2024

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The Gaza Strip is a 25-mile long stretch of coastal land (141 square miles, 365 square kilometers) that is home to a growing population of more than two million people. For such a small place, Gaza has a name everyone recognizes around the globe, but few really understand its history, culture and overall situation. Early…

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From Home to Homeless in Gaza

Dec 31, 2023

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Greetings from Gaza, the most miserable place in the world, where rivers are made of blood not water. I am writing to share the latest chapter of my story, as I am certain that my and other Gazans’ experiences right now are profound enough to fill volumes with accounts that have yet to cross anyone’s…

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Celebrating Hayat

Dec 21, 2023

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Last Thursday’s dawn, my daughter arrived – a triumph over fear and anticipation. We named her Hayat (“Life”) because her birth is a victory of life amid the death and devastation we are experiencing daily in Gaza. With her first touch, my mind traveled through the 70 days of bombing, displacement, hunger and thirst. Life,…

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