BBC OS producer Kristina Völk has been following the lives of several people in Gaza since the beginning of the Israel and Hamas war in October last year.

They have been in contact with her via voice messages, text updates or chats whenever they are able.

And in this edition we’re sharing their experiences across a timeline of six months of four women: Batool, Sanabel, Aseel and Layan.

“My grandparents’ neighbourhood is fully destroyed,” says 18 year-old poet Batool, who lived in Gaza City before being forced to move to the south of the territory. “I lost two of my friends yesterday and I had to cut more than half my long hair because I can’t wash it. There’s not enough amount of water to spend on my hair.”

The messages that Kristina guides you through give a sense of the resilience, fear, strength and despair experienced under the bombardments of war.

“I asked myself who should I cry for first,” says 16 year-old Sanabel in one of her messages. “You lost your loved ones. You lost your friends, your neighbours, your dreams. Everything here in Gaza.”

Sometimes the women were able to send a series of updates when they had a relatively stable internet connection. At other times, weeks and months went by without any contact.

And then Kristina would receive a simple text from one of them that said: “Still alive”.

Produced by Kristina Völk and the BBC OS team with Boffin Media.

(Photo: Sanabel in Gaza. Credit: Sanabel) Show less