We Are Not Numbers: Voices of Gaza's Youth

Ahmed Alnaouq grew up in Gaza where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from al-Azher University. Ahmed was the inspiration for, and original project manager of, We Are Not Numbers. He later won the UK’s prestigious Chevening scholarship and earned a master’s degree in international journalism from Leeds University. He also serves as advocacy and outreach officer for the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor. Ahmed’s writings have been published by the Gulf News, New Arab, and other websites. He is currently based in London.

Raji Al Jaru is a self-taught musician, songwriter, and music producer from Gaza. I’m the co-founder, lead singer, rhythm guitarist, producer, and frontman of Osprey V, Gaza’s first internationally recognized rock band. Born in a place the world never expected rock music to emerge from.

Amid war and destruction, I co-founded Gaza’s first music store and sound shop with my father, sparking a cultural revolution. Through this space, we introduced music to countless young people and helped raise a generation of new voices, artists using their art to speak truth under siege.

We are not just making music, we are carving sound into history. Every note is a witness, every lyric a resistance. From the heart of Gaza to the soul of the world, we are not just artists, we are messengers of truth on a mission to set the world’s humanity free.

Iman Inshasi is the author of New Girl on the Block and My Battlefield is My Brain, two real-life stories set in Palestine, Gaza. A former English Language Teacher, Iman draws inspiration from people watching and the quiet, often overlooked moments that reveal the heart of human nature. When not writing, she can be found listening to podcasts by the beach and making mental notes of her next step in life. 

Gazan to the roots, Dana Besaiso was born and raised in Gaza, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Law from Al-Azhar University, graduating at the top of her class. She is pursuing her masters in Public International Law at the London School of Economics to shed light on the human rights violations that are visited upon Palestinians daily and to hold those violators accountable for their misdeeds.

Dana’s foremost life goal is to return to Palestine and contribute to the development of a legal system grounded in justice, dignity, and the rule of law.

“Our country will not rebuild itself but with the help of its own people, and I want to be one of them.”

Basman Aldirawi (also published as Basman Derawi) is a 35-year-old Palestinian originally from Beersheba, currently living in Gaza. On October 7th, he was in Egypt and has remained there due to the ongoing aggression in Gaza. Basman works as a physiotherapist at the Ministry of Health in Gaza. He was a member of the Gaza Poets Society, the first spoken word community in Gaza, in 2018, and has contributed dozens of stories and poems to various online platforms. He also contributed to the book We Are Not Numbers, published in German in 2019, and participated in its book tour in Germany and Switzerland. In addition, he has been featured in the Arabic poetry anthology Gaza; Land of Poetry (2021) and the English anthology Light in Gaza; Writing Born in Fire (2022).

Ali Abusheikh is a proud Canaanite Palestinian communications and public relations professional based in Doha, Qatar. He holds a Master’s degree in Digital Humanities and Societies from Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).

After graduating, Ali returned to Gaza to visit his family, but in October 2023 he was caught in the genocide that unfolded there. Just before the border closed in the summer of 2024, he managed to return to Qatar. An escape that only deepened his commitment to sharing Palestine’s untold stories.

A dreamer and avid tea-and-book lover, Ali is passionate about using writing and public speaking to highlight the resilience, culture, and beauty of Palestinian life, so often overlooked in global narratives. Beyond his work, he enjoys drama, music, and languages; in addition to Arabic and English, he has some knowledge of Turkish, French, and Hebrew. His greatest hope is to one day reunite with his mother — whether outside Gaza or in a safer, rebuilt, and more just Gaza.