'Did we die?'

For days, Tareq Hajjaj has been asking anyone able or willing to tell their stories.

Hajjaj, 30, is the Gaza Strip correspondent for Mondoweiss, a news and opinion website that covers the Palestinian territories, Israel and U.S. policy. Since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, Hajjaj has been reporting in apocalyptic conditions while also trying to take care of his family.

Over the course of several days, Paste BN communicated with Hajjaj through brief audio notes and messages sent via WhatsApp, one of the only ways to keep in touch with people in Gaza.

Amid disrupted phone and Internet connections, he wrote about what it's like to see buildings collapse, about young mothers and friends killed while sheltering from Israeli airstrikes, and about the feeling of helplessness when there is nowhere left to run. He has recorded videos on his phone, including one describing how his mother awoke amid the bombing and asked him: "Did we die?"

His messages tell the story of a journalist committed to truth who is trying to stay alive.

Scroll for more headlines about the war between Israel and Hamas from the Paste BN Network.

Hi, I'm Nicole. Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter. To receive this column on weekdays, sign up here.