Eyes of Gaza – Alaqad Plestia (2025)

In early October 2023, Palestinian Plestia Alaqad is a recent graduate with dreams of becoming a successful journalist. By the end of November, her social media posts depicting daily life in Gaza amid Israel’s deadly invasion and bombardment profoundly move millions of people, and she becomes internationally known as the “Eyes of Gaza”. Written as a series of diary extracts, this English-language book recounts the horrors of her experiences while showcasing the indomitable spirit of the men, women and children in her communities. From the centre of the turmoil, as bombs fall around her and devastation grips her people, she witnesses their emotions, quiet acts of necessary heroism, and moments of unexpected tenderness and vulnerability amid the chaos. Through the raw honesty of a normal 21-year-old woman trying to find her way through a human tragedy, the book offers an intimate account of violence and a powerful testament to the human spirit. It is not simply a heartbreaking lament, but an intimate love letter to a girl’s home, demolished before her eyes yet forever present in her heart.