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.