Palestinians turn to communal ovens to bake bread in Gaza

Gaza City, Gaza Strip – Every morning, Azza Ashour kneads dough for her five children before carrying it to a communal oven at the school where her family has been sheltering.

The 31-year-old mother has little money, no regular income and no husband at home. She explained that he has been detained by the Israeli army since May 2024, one of thousands of Palestinians locked away without trial by Israel.

Azza makes the dough stretch as far as possible, sometimes filling the bread with cheese or a little chocolate. If there is little else to feed the children, the bread itself becomes the meal.

“One piece of dough can keep my children going for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” she said.

Azza is from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, an area destroyed by Israel during its genocidal war. The family was first displaced to southern Gaza, before eventually settling at Cairo School in western Gaza City. It has been turned into a displacement centre where they have lived for around a year.

She is now responsible for managing the household and caring for all five children.

“I have been managing a family on my own for three years,” she said. “It’s a huge responsibility.”

Her family receives canned food assistance from the World Food Programme, but sometimes only once a month or every two months.