Uday and Hamza Abu Odah have spent their entire lives under siege. Born in Gaza on November 2, 2023, barely a month into Israel’s military response to a Hamas attack, the twins’ early years have been defined by violence, displacement, and scarcity.

Their father was killed seeking aid, two older brothers were wounded, and their home was reduced to rubble.

Their mother, Iman Abu Mutlaq, has navigated the chaos to provide care, often walking long distances to overcrowded hospitals amid bombardments.

Supplies have been intermittent, leaving essentials like milk and diapers in short supply.

Even in the maternity ward, the cries of newborns mixed with gunfire and mourning, an eerie echo of the conflict shaping their lives.

Now living in a crowded beach encampment, the twins face constant insecurity, hunger, and trauma.

Iman’s aspirations are simple yet elusive: peace, food, education, and a future where her children are not defined by war.