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Gaza

How I survived 21 hours under the rubble in Gaza

“I speak to you from beyond the grave,” said Youssef Hassan. Sitting in a modestly furnished apartment in the working-class neighborhood of al-Haykestep, north of Cairo, the young man recounted the harrowing ordeal he recently endured.

A musician who once taught at the Edward Said YMCA in Tal al-Hawa, Hassan managed to flee thanks to an online fundraising campaign launched by an organization. Standing six feet tall, with shaggy hair and a bewildered expression, his gaze wandered at times.

In his 24 years of life, he has experienced several wars and numerous displacements. Danger has become a constant companion. Tragically, many of his family members, including two beloved brothers, perished in the ongoing Gaza war.

Hassan narrowly escaped the same fate. “I spent 21 hours under the rubble,” he said.

A musician who once taught at the Edward Said YMCA in Tal al-Hawa, Hassan managed to flee thanks to an online fundraising campaign launched by an organization. Standing six feet tall, with shaggy hair and a bewildered expression, his gaze wandered at times.In his 24 years of life, he has experienced several wars and numerous displacements. Danger has become a constant companion. Tragically, many...