Ne'ama Ayyoub (used with permission)
A week into the bombardment of Gaza, I set up a WhatsApp group for my Palestinian family to confirm each morning they're all still alive.
"Could everyone sign in?"
This morning, I got no response. An hour and fifteen minutes passed. Then, a message from my sister, Yasmeen, in Gaza City. The power had just come on and she had a brief window of WiFi. An hour later, my niece and nephew, Ne'ama and Hammoud, messaged from the south. Between the three of them, we could account for 32 other relatives.
Another day, and, at least for a moment, I could relax.