‘He will call me Mama’: The Gaza ‘grandmother’ raising an orphaned baby | Women

Maha al-Rubaie, a 56-year-old woman, has become the mother to Hamza, an orphan who lost his entire family in Israel's war on Gaza. After losing her own brother and nephew, Omar al-Rubaie’s father was killed in the 2008 Gaza war, she raised Omar as a child. After the death of Diana, Omar’s wife and Hamza’s mother, in a bombing that also killed their three children, Maha took on the role of raising Hamza. The couple had hoped to have more children but were tragically killed before their baby was born. Maha is now caring for Hamza alone while facing challenges such as limited medical care and her own health issues. Despite these difficulties, she remains determined to raise him in a safe environment and give him a good education.