Gaza City, Gaza — For the past three years, Nisreen Touman has faced sleepless nights filled with grief, mourning the profound losses she has endured since the escalation of conflict in Gaza in October 2023.
### A Family Shattered
At just 34, Nisreen has already experienced the devastation of losing two husbands and her children. Her first tragedy struck in June 2024, when she lost her husband and their two young sons, Mahmoud and Laith, aged five and two at the time. Just months later, in July 2025, she found herself widowed again, grappling with the sudden death of her second husband while she was pregnant. These events turned her stable life in Nuseirat, central Gaza, into one marked by unimaginable loss. “I had a home and a family. My husband and I shared a strong bond,” she recalls, fighting back tears.
### The Day Everything Changed
June 8, 2024, marked a traumatic turning point in Nisreen’s life. After a joyful visit to extended family, she returned home with her husband and children. What began as an ordinary day quickly morphed into chaos. Upon hearing the sounds of nearby bombings, her husband rushed to gather the children inside, but he went outside once more, seeking answers. “That was the last time I saw him,” she said, learning later that he was shot by a drone overhead. Just moments after this devastating loss, an Israeli plane targeted their home. Nisreen remembers losing consciousness, only to awaken to a dust-filled nightmare, filled with screams, blood, and confusion.
### A New Beginning Amidst Grief
Struggling with acute trauma, Nisreen returned to her family’s tent in al-Mawasi. Four months later, a difficult choice lay before her: marry her late sister’s husband, who was also her late first husband’s brother. Initially resistant, she eventually accepted, motivated by a desire to care for her late sister’s children. “I had lost my own family; it felt like they needed me,” she stated. This new marriage provided a semblance of stability, though the emotional challenges were overwhelming.
### The Second Devastation
On July 8, 2025, eight months into her second marriage and while expecting a child, Nisreen faced another heart-wrenching loss when her second husband, Mohammed, was killed in an airstrike. “After finally finding some normalcy, I felt as if I was back to square one,” she recalled. The pain was amplified by the urge to protect her sister’s children, who had now lost both their parents.
### Born into Grief
Four months after Mohammed’s death, she gave birth to a daughter, Sidra. This new life was a bittersweet reminder of everything she had tragically lost. “Becoming a mother again offered some joy, but that joy is incomplete as Sidra will grow up without a father,” she expressed, revealing the lingering pangs of sorrow that haunt her daily.
Caring for her daughter has become her primary focus, providing a semblance of purpose. Yet, she admits to feeling isolated and fearful of embracing new possibilities: “I find solace in silence, focusing solely on my daughter.” Currently residing with Sidra in her family’s home, she maintains a connection with her late sister’s children, who are cared for by their grandfather.
### The Unbearable Weight of Loss
Despite the passage of time, Nisreen remains ensnared in the aftermath of her multiple tragedies. “I never envisioned I would endure this level of suffering,” she noted, reflecting on her tumultuous journey. With the ceaseless backdrop of conflict in Gaza, she articulates an understanding that under such overwhelming circumstances, anything is indeed possible.