I Stand So My Children Don’t Fall”

Gazan Widowhood, Structural Violence, and Survival Under Siege

Bibliographic Data

ID13629672
AuthorsBilal Hamamra (0000-0003-4375-0293, An-Najah National University, corresponding author), Asala Mayaleh (0000-0001-8262-3719, An-Najah National University)
Year2026
Pages302228261428165-302228261428165
Publication date2026-02-17
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueOMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00302228261428165
PMID41700407
OpenAlexW7129796618
LanguageEN
References cited13

This study investigates the intersectional challenges confronting Gazan widows during the Israeli-led genocide and military blockade, using in-depth interviews with thirty internally displaced widows in Rafah. Using thematic content analysis informed by an intersectional framework, it shows how bereavement, displacement, institutional collapse, economic hardship, and patriarchal control undermine health and call for justice-centered interventions that uphold widows' human dignity. The analysis identifies six interrelated themes, including the compounded effects of widowhood and forced displacement, war-related physical and psychological injury, economic precarity, inadequate shelter, barriers to accessing essential services, and faith-based religious coping in the absence of institutional protection

Coping (psychology · Genocide · Psychological intervention · Qualitative research · Siege · Thematic analysis · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Middle East Politics and Society

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