Hearts in chains: Valentine's Day spotlights Gaza’s lost blooms & struggle
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
As couples around the world exchanged roses, chocolates, and whispers of affection on Valentine's Day, a sobering digital chorus echoed from the rubble-strewn streets of Gaza.
Social media platforms brimmed with artistic laments and defiant pleas, juxtaposing the global ritual of romance against the relentless siege on Palestinian lives.
In a year marked by the 28th month of ‘Israel's’ military assault on Gaza, the holiday became a canvas for grief, resilience, and calls for justice.
Supermodel and Palestinian-American activist Bella Hadid shared a post on Instagram - which has become a yearly tradition - amassing nearly a million likes within hours while captioned simply “Every year”.
Other users also joined in with artwork, calls to free Palestine, and other powerful images and please.
These posts are more than photos or art; they form a digital lifeline in a crisis that has claimed over 70,000 lives since October 2023, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Valentine's served as a megaphone for the unspoken: that true affection cannot flourish in the shadow of occupation.
