Majeda al-Saqqa

I work for the Cultural and Free Thought Association in Khan Younis, towards the south of the Gaza Strip.

MEET THE PANEL Name: Majeda al-Saqqa Age: 37 Lives: Khan Younis Works: NGO worker

It's a community-based organisation working with children, teenagers and women.

In some ways we are back to square one.

We worked with traumatised kids from the first and second intifadas - using art and therapy.

Now we have the same problems again.

The children paint tanks and destroyed houses. They talk about Arabs and Jews and the occupation, instead of talking about the sea and playtime.

Some of the children used to come to the centre alone, but now they won't, because they are scared.

The sonic booms made the children hyper. When they don't know what's happening or what's going to happen, they try to keep themselves busy, they are on the move all the time.

They don't want you to die, but they don't want you to live

Our funding didn't stop because of Hamas. Our partners - for example, Christian Aid - have been working with us since 1991 so they know we are not affiliated to anyone.

We started boycotting US funding two or three years ago because it is conditional on us signing something that says we won't work with people who might be involved with terrorism.

Of course we are against terrorism. But the US is not defining what it is. So do they think people who are against the occupation are terrorists? That's why we don't accept their money.

LIFE IN GAZA Fathi Tobail Mona Yousef Mamoun Abu Shahla Majeda Al Saqqa

Security is a big problem. We live near an area which the Israelis attack every now and then because it's near the border. So movement at night is not safe.

Also - the closure. It means you can't always find what you need in the markets. And the prices fluctuate.

Sometimes we get gas for the house, sometimes we have to wait - on average - 10 to 15 days.

Israelis are limiting it to basic needs. They don't want you to die, but they don't want you to live.