Palestinians keep memory alive in Gaza

Blog: Gaza's Twitterati have been honouring the lives of thousands of Palestinians killed by Israel, with the online #TheMartyrsReturn campaign.

Narrated

2 min read

Alex Wright

13 Jul, 2015

17-year-old Anas Qandeel who was killed in an Israeli airstike during the war [Twitter]

Palestinians have marked the anniversary of the most recent Israeli aggression against Gaza by launching an online campaign to pay tribute to the thousands of those killed during the war.

A year on from the 50-day war in the Gaza Strip which claimed the lives of 2,251 Palestinians, including 551 children, Palestinians have taken to social media to post the names and pictures of the many victims.

"Over the next 50 days we will post pictures and stories of the martyrs and the resistance during the Israeli aggression against Gaza, using the hashtag #TheMartyrsReturn," said activist Mervat Sadiq.

Sadiq called on Gazans to re-publish their social media posts and blogs written during the war and to share their memories of the deceased.

Last year's war was longest, deadliest and most destructive of the three wars in Gaza over the past six years, leaving more than 10,000 people wounded and 100,000 homeless.

Blogger Rami Bardrah tweeted:

Twitter Post

Translation: One of the hardest scenes for the heart to handle. The children of the Bakr family trying to dodge rocket fire before they ascended to heaven on Gaza's beach.

Algerian Facebook user Rania Jijelienne posted graphic images of people killed in the war from Notstat, a group that gathers pictures of the civilian victims of the war.

Facebook Post

Translation: A whole year has gone by since the Zionist aggression against the Gaza Strip. A year and Gaza is still under the blockade and suffering.

Another Twitter user posted an image of Gaza's night sky a year ago filled with Israeli rocket fire.

Twitter Post