Warda Abu Jarad, 51, lost her sight when her Gaza home was bombed and has opened a small bakery to support her family and keep hope alive. Speaking from a tent in Deir el-Balah, she described depending on her daughter and coping with the emotional strain of blindness. A fragile ceasefire since October 10 has eased some conditions, but the UN and NGOs warn that aid deliveries remain far short of needs. Abu Jarad says baking gives her purpose while she dreams of regaining her sight.
Blinded in Gaza strike, mother opens bakery to support family and hold on to hope
Warda Abu Jarad, 51, lost her sight when her Gaza home was bombed and has opened a small bakery to support her family and keep hope alive. Speaking from a tent in Deir el-Balah, she described depending on her daughter and coping with the emotional strain of blindness. A fragile ceasefire since October 10 has eased some conditions, but the UN and NGOs warn that aid deliveries remain far short of needs. Abu Jarad says baking gives her purpose while she dreams of regaining her sight.
02:48 PM, 11/13/2025Conflict
Blinded in Gaza strike, mother opens bakery to support family and hold on to hope
Warda Abu Jarad, 51, lost her sight after her home in Gaza was hit by an air strike that sent debris and smoke into her eyes. She is among roughly 170,698 Palestinians reported wounded in Gaza since the outbreak of hostilities in October 2023.
Speaking from a tent in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Abu Jarad described the daily challenges of adjusting to life without sight and the dangers present in makeshift shelters. She now depends on her daughter and other helpers to move safely between places.
“The smoke from the bombing blinded me completely,” she said. “Even when I want to move inside the tent, I wait for someone to help me cross. I tried to enter the tent once, hit my head and fell… so now I feel the ground with my feet to know what’s in front of me.”
Her daughter has become her greatest support. Abu Jarad described the emotional toll of blindness: “The most precious thing in life is sight. Every time I struggle to reach something I need, I start crying.”
Despite these hardships, one month into a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Abu Jarad has opened a small bakery to provide for her family. She bakes ma'amoul (filled butter cookies) and bread, saying the work gives her a sense of purpose and helps meet basic needs amid limited resources.
Humanitarian access has improved slightly since the ceasefire that began on October 10, but the United Nations and non-governmental organizations warn that the volume of aid reaching Gaza remains far below what is required. Israel says it has allowed about 600 aid trucks per day; Hamas reports the number is closer to 150. The reopening of crossings such as Zikim has been described by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as an important step to speed aid to the north.
“All I want in life is to have my sight restored, and I want to see my daughter as a bride in her wedding dress. This is my greatest wish from God,” Abu Jarad said.