Inside her tent in Gaza City, Reda Aliwa has prepared a meal for her grandchildren — all 36 of them. They push and pull each other while crowding around her, and one by one, she offers them each a spoonful of rice.

The younger ones call out for the next serving — “Me, grandma, me!” This is all the food they’ll eat tonight, and some of the children swipe clumps of rice when Aliwa’s attention is elsewhere. She sends one of the boys to fetch something to drink from a container behind their tent that’s been filling with rainwater. She passes a metal cup down a line of kids, one sip for each.

“My children took care of me,” Aliwa said. “Today, I am caring for their children … but the burden is too big for me to carry.”

Aliwa’s five children were killed in two attacks that took place four days

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