Palestinian mother shares harrowing struggles with starvation, disease, hygiene amid relentless Israeli attacks on Gaza

SHAH ALAM - Israel’s genocide in Gaza has left deep scars on Palestinians, with women and children bearing the brunt of the ongoing violence.

For Lama Alaggad, the relentless Israeli attacks brought not only physical danger but also unimaginable trauma, taking a heavy toll on her and her young children.

In September, last year, Lama, her husband Palestinian Dr Mohammed H. Alaqad, their eight-year-old son, four-year-old daughter and six-month-old baby went to Gaza to visit her mother-in-law who was suffering from cancer.

However, everything turned into a nightmare when on Oct 7, that year, the mother of three narrowly survived an Israeli sniper’s bullet which came dangerously close to her shoulders, missing her by just a few centimetres and hitting the wall behind her.

The terrifying near-death experience marked the beginning of her struggle with severe trauma, leaving her unable to breastfeed her child due to the overwhelming psychological impact.

Lama said her baby, who weighed 10 kilogrammes before the war, lost half his body weight due to severe malnutrition.

With basic supplies becoming scarce and often impossible to find, she recalled the agonising hours spent waiting in line for formula milk and diapers, only to leave empty-handed.

"We queued for hours to get milk formula and diapers, often leaving empty-handed.

"When we were able to find the supplies, the prices were expensive with a single pack of diapers costing nearly RM200," she said during The Palestinian Diaries: A Day of Culture, Stories and Solidarity event organised by Sinar daily at the Karangkraf Complex, here, recently.

Lama's husband, Mohammed who was working at the Management and Science University (MSU), here, also spoke at the event.

She said as the war deprived her of the ability to breastfeed, they were forced to rely on whatever food they could scavenge to feed her children, often from contaminated supplies.

The lack of proper nutrition, she said led to a range of health issues in her children, including diarrhoea, rashes, infections and constipation.

She said the crisis was especially severe for women, whose needs were often overlooked in the chaos of war.

She added that women’s personal hygiene and safety were at constant risk, exacerbating the trauma of living under siege.

"Access to sanitary products became nearly impossible, forcing many women to rely on makeshift alternatives such as cloth or tissues.

"These unhygienic conditions inevitably led to infections and other serious health problems," she said.

She said there was also no privacy inside the crowded refugee tents.

Lama's story was just one of many, but it highlighted the daily battle for survival that Palestinians, especially women and children, face during the ongoing genocide.

For over seven months, Lama and her family endured the horrors of Israeli strikes in Gaza, with the constant fear of death and deprivation of basic necessities.

Her days were defined by survival, constantly moving from place to place as Israeli forces bombarded the region.

She recalled the unbearable task of being displaced over 20 times, each time fleeing with the bare minimum, hoping to find temporary safety.

"Three or four days every week there would be someone who asked us to go with them. We had to walk barefoot, moving 10 to 15 kilometres with no transportation," she recounted.

Meanwhile, Mohammed said their children experienced nightmares and one of their sons even drew scenes of war during an art class when they were in Malaysia, where they now reside.

"If we had stayed another month, our baby would not have survived,” Mohammed said.

Now, Lama is pursuing a Master’s in Women and Children’s Rights Under Gaza Genocide in Malaysia dedicating her life to advocating for the rights of those still suffering in Palestine.

Mohammed who is also a research fellow at Universiti Malaya, continues his work in Palestinian studies.

The couple expressed hopes for the liberation of Palestine and the chance to reunite with their loved ones in their homeland.