GAZA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- In the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, the streets are still lined with damaged buildings and piles of rubble. The two-year war that devastated this coastal enclave has left deep scars, both visible and hidden.
Now, as news arrives of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran's counteroffensive, residents here say they are watching the developments with familiar dread.
"We have lived through killing, hunger and fear," said Hassan Abu Shaar, a 43-year-old shop owner and father of four. "We do not wish this suffering on any people, whether in Iran or anywhere else."
Abu Shaar said scenes of escalation reported from Iran brought back painful memories.
"The continuation of war means more suffering for ordinary people," he told Xinhua.
"We hope people can live in peace and security, that children can go to school without fear, and that families can remain safely in their homes," he said.
On Saturday morning, Israel and the United States launched large-scale joint strikes on Iran. Iran soon responded with counterattacks targeting Israeli and U.S. assets across the region. The conflict has triggered a broader regional confrontation, setting off waves of missile exchanges, mounting casualties, and far-reaching political, security and economic repercussions.
For residents of Gaza, where the impact of war remains visible in shattered infrastructure and strained living conditions, the developments have stirred deep unease.
Mariam Mohsen, a 30-year-old journalist from Gaza City, said people there are closely monitoring regional developments despite their own accumulated hardships.
"Any new escalation increases anxiety here, because our humanitarian and economic situation is already fragile," she said. "We know what it means to wake up to news of bombings and to worry about relatives and friends. It is an experience we do not wish on anyone."
In the Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza City, construction worker Samer Elewa said the events surrounding Iran reminded him of the deep scars wars leave on societies.
"People who have not lived through war might think it is only about military victories or political goals," he said. "But for ordinary families, war means fear, loss and years of rebuilding."
Elewa, whose family was displaced several times during the Gaza conflict, said that "when bombs fall, there are no winners among civilians. Children lose their sense of safety, parents lose their livelihoods, and communities carry the trauma for years."
Ibrahim al-Otla, 52, a former teacher, said the holy month of Ramadan has prompted many residents to pray for calm across the region.
"We are in a month of mercy and blessings," he said. "We pray that peace will prevail for all peoples and that the wars exhausting societies will come to an end."
Al-Otla said many children in Gaza continue to suffer psychological trauma.
"When they hear any loud noise, we see fear in their eyes," he said. "Those who have experienced war understand its bitterness and hope it will stop everywhere."
At a grocery store in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, shopkeeper Mahmoud al-Dali, 55, said decades of conflict in the region have shown that the human cost of war remains the same.
"In every conflict, politicians talk about strategy and power," he said. "But the ordinary person is the one who pays the real price."
For 27-year-old university student Lina al-Khatib, reports of the latest conflict brought back memories of nights spent sheltering with her family during Israeli airstrikes.
"We used to sit together in the darkest corner of the house, listening to explosions and hoping the next strike would not hit us," she said. "When we hear about airstrikes in another country, we immediately think of the families there. We know what it means to feel powerless and uncertain about the future."
Local observers said the expanding confrontation has heightened concerns among Gaza residents, many of whom rely on humanitarian assistance and face difficult economic conditions. They worry that prolonged instability could affect aid flows and recovery prospects.
Mustafa Ibrahim, a Gaza-based political analyst, warned that prolonged fighting involving Iran could have serious repercussions for the entire Middle East.
"Any large-scale war in Iran will not remain confined within its borders," he said. "It will affect the balance of power in the region on security, economic and political levels."
"The Middle East is interconnected," Ibrahim added. "Major disruptions in one pivotal country inevitably have consequences for others. What the region needs are comprehensive political understandings, not open-ended wars that deepen the suffering of people." ■
