I managed to escape Gaza, but now carry the shame of being safe

I managed to escape Gaza, but now carry the shame of being safe Submitted by Sara Awad on Sun, 03/08/2026 - 10:23 After two years of war, air strikes and starvation in Gaza, a scholarship allowed me to study in Italy, but my survival came at the cost of leaving my family and people behind A woman holding a child sits on a bus as Palestinians evacuate Gaza through the Rafah crossing in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on 3 February 2026 (Bashar Taleb/AFP) Off One year ago, my days in Gaza were defined by fear and the constant question of how to stay alive. Today, I sleep and wake in Italy in a state of peace, after months of falling asleep under bombs and waking to the sound of air strikes. I am safe here in my own body while my family remains in Gaza, facing one of the most uncertain futures in the world.