Najia and Hammam Malaka have been stuck at opposite ends of the Gaza Strip, with their young children, for most of the yearlong conflict. The emotional toll has been devastating.
The new baby was supposed to come in early October, when things were still normal. Najia Malaka and her husband, Hammam, had been counting the days. But when the war came to Gaza, they said, they were still waiting.
As Israeli bombs thundered down on Gaza City, Israel’s military ordered everyone in the north to evacuate. The Malakas made a decision. He packed up their two older children to go south. She stayed back with their two toddlers to give birth.
She went into labor that day, Oct. 13. But he had already left. They have not seen each other, barring a few early visits, ever since.
The war has shredded many families since Israel attacked the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault on Israel. Fighting and bombing have killed tens of thousands. Many of Gaza’s roughly two million people have had to flee again and again, scattering families across the strip. Just moving around the tiny territory involves great risk, sometimes death.
For the Malakas, the war is a wall. They have been trapped, less than 20 miles apart, for almost a year.
“My heart aches every single morning,” said Mr. Malaka, 30. “I feel so awful, just missing them and wanting to hear their voices.”
