How to Survive a Warzone: The lives of 4 kids surviving in Gaza

Zakaria, only 11 years old, lives in the Gaza Strip and estimates that he has witnessed thousands of bodies since the war began. At an age when he should be studying in a classroom, Zakaria volunteers at Al-Aqsa Hospital, one of the few hospitals still operating in Gaza.

As ambulances carrying victims of the Israeli-Hamas war arrive at the hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, Zakaria weaves through the crowds, helping to unload newly arrived patients and rushing them into the hospital for treatment. Moments later, he's pushing a stretcher down a hospital corridor, then carrying a young child into the emergency room, demonstrating remarkable dedication.

Several of Zakaria's classmates have tragically died since the conflict began. Helping at the hospital means he has to witness many shocking scenes. He recalled one instance where he saw a boy burned to death in front of him after an Israeli strike. "I have seen at least 5,000 bodies, I have seen it with my own eyes," he told our cameraman, expressing the trauma he has endured.

Zakaria is one of the protagonists in our BBC documentary, "Gaza: How to Survive in a War Zone," which took nine months to film. My colleague Yousef Hamash and I co-directed the documentary from London because Israel has not allowed international journalists into Gaza for independent reporting since the war began 16 months ago. To gather footage and interviews, we hired two Gaza-based cameramen, Amjad Al-Fayoumi and Ibrahim Abu Ishaiba, and kept in constant contact with them via communication apps, VoIP, and mobile networks.

Yousef and I made this documentary to show the daily lives of Gazans struggling to survive amidst the horrors of war. We completed filming a few weeks ago, on the day the current ceasefire agreement went into effect. We focused our lens on three children and a young woman who had just given birth, as they are the most innocent victims of this war. This war was temporarily halted on January 19, when Hamas and Israel reached a hostage release agreement.

According to data from the Hamas-controlled health ministry, more than 48,200 people have died in Gaza during Israel's military operations. These operations were triggered by the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 people as hostages.

Overall, our filming locations were mainly concentrated in the "humanitarian zones" in southern and central Gaza designated by the Israeli army, where Palestinians were told to go to ensure their safety. However, according to an analysis by BBC Verify, despite being designated as "humanitarian zones," the area suffered nearly 100 attacks between May 2024 and January of this year. The Israel Defense Forces stated that they were targeting Hamas militants operating in the area at the time.

We wanted to understand how children find food, decide where to sleep, and how they spend their time while trying to survive. Thirteen-year-old Abdullah serves as the narrator of the documentary. He attended a British school in Gaza before the war, speaks fluent English, and makes every effort to continue his education, showcasing resilience in the face of adversity.

Ten-year-old Renad, with the help of her sister, creates cooking shows on TikTok. Despite the war making it impossible for them to obtain suitable ingredients, they still create a variety of dishes and have over a million followers. We also tracked 24-year-old Lana, who gave birth to a baby girl prematurely. She has been displaced three times and lives near the hospital with her two sons and parents, highlighting the widespread displacement caused by the conflict.

Part of the film also focuses on how medical staff at Al-Aqsa Hospital are struggling to save lives. British doctors described the hospital in January 2024 as the only one still operating in central Gaza. And it was there that we found Zakaria, providing a glimpse into the dire conditions and the crucial role the hospital plays.

Everyone working at the hospital knows the boy. Of course, he is still a child and not a qualified medical professional, but he is always wandering around, waiting for an opportunity to help others, hoping to get some food or money in return. Sometimes he helps local journalists carry equipment, and sometimes he carries stretchers carrying the wounded or dying, showcasing his willingness to contribute in any way he can.

When he has free time, he helps clean blood and dirt from ambulances. He has no school to attend and is the only one in his family who can earn money. He said that he does not live with his family because they have very little food and water, but lives alone in the hospital, sleeping wherever he can find a place. Sometimes he sleeps in the CT scan room, sometimes in the journalists' tent, or in the back of an ambulance, illustrating the harsh reality of his daily life.

There are many nights when he goes to bed hungry. Although the hospital staff tries their best to stop him, they cannot prevent him from participating in the chaos of caring for the wounded. Zakaria idolizes the medical staff and wants to be seen as part of the team. One of the medical staff, Saeed, has taken him under his wing. He said that Zakaria gets sad whenever Saeed treats him like a child, revealing his desire for responsibility and recognition.

Other staff members saw Zakaria's care and concern for them and the hospital patients and taught him how to administer intravenous fluids. In recognition of his efforts, they even made him a mini version of the blue surgical gown - which he is very proud of, symbolizing his acceptance and integration into the hospital community.

Saeed strives to ensure that the boy still has some childhood fun. In the film, we follow them to the beach. Zakaria sits under a tree branch, enjoying the lunch Saeed bought him. He said the shawarma was perfect. Saeed joked that this was the only time the boy "shuts up," highlighting the rare moments of joy and normalcy amidst the chaos.

But Saeed worries that Zakaria has witnessed too much death and destruction and may never be able to fit in with children his age again. Zakaria himself is looking beyond childhood. "I want to be a medical worker," he said. "But first I need to get out of here," expressing his aspirations for the future and his desire for a better life beyond the conflict.