"We are not numbers." A reporter in Gaza shares about life and faith during the conflict

“We are not numbers.” That’s what Diaa Ostaz, a reporter in Gaza for a Catholic publication, said earlier this month during a Zoom recording from the territory. 

Ostaz, 26, was speaking about the many who have died in Gaza since October, 2023. According to the United Nations, that’s over 73,000 people killed and more than 173,000 injured since that time. At least 20,000 of the dead are children, with more than 44,000 injured. 

The numbers of killed and injured in Gaza are staggering, but people there are not statistics, Ostaz said. 

“We are human beings and we love life. We love to sing, dance and laugh. We love to work, progress and achieve our goals. We laugh a lot and we cry a lot. We are not just images you see on social media and in news broadcasts. We are real. We are not monsters as some people think, or criminals. What happened in the October 7th attack does not represent the beliefs of an entire civilian population … we are looking for peace.” 

Read my interview with Ostaz in the Free Press. 

Photo above: Diaa Ostaz talks with a boy in the rubble in Gaza.