Di return of Gaza radio

Wen di war wey Israel start for Gaza burst for October 2023, more dan two million pipo wey dey live for dia enter serious isolation. Phone line cut, internet dey off and on as Israeli forces dey control am, so Palestinians no get beta way to connect wit di outside world. Dem dey waka for dangerous ground, try manage wit di small connection wey dem fit get.

For dis kind wahala, na radio, one old way of communication, come show say e still get power. Wetin many pipo don see as old school from di mid-20th century don turn Gaza last hope to hear news, connect wit oda pipo, and feel say dem still dey part of di world. All dis one na through small radio wey battery dey power, wey person fit carry for hand.

For al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, near Gaza seashore, where plenty tattered tent dey under di stress of displacement, one small radio dey hum faintly for di middle of di katakata.

Di transmitter wey don suffer dey try fight di noise of war. Sometimes di sound go dey break, static go cover am; sometimes na familiar song go come out, or dem go dey call di names of di pipo wey don die, wey dem dey read every evening like prayer, fill di silence wit grief and remembrance.

Di person wey dey lead Gaza last hope na Rafat Al-Qudrah, di director of Voice of Palestine and one broadcaster wey don dey do di work for long.

E remember how di station programme change overnight after October 7, 2023: “Before di war, Voice of Palestine dey carry di heartbeat of di Palestinian street,” e talk.

“We no fit do entertainment programme again. Our work now na to dey monitor wetin dey happen, support di people and talk about di hard human stories.”

E tell TRT World: “Every minute for di radio na big responsibility: to record di war, talk di truth and be di voice of Palestinians to di world.”

Di radio stations wey still dey try survive for Gaza na Voice of Palestine, Radio Basma, and BBC Emergency Service ‘Gaza Daily’. Dem dey broadcast wit short and medium wave wey pipo fit hear wit pocket radios. Dem no need internet, so di waves dey carry important information.

Na through dem, Palestinians dey know where air strike dey happen, wen small aid dey come, if ceasefire go happen, or even hear song wey fit calm dem mind small.

Most Gaza pipo dey listen to Voice of Palestine wey dey carry national message and memory of di pipo wey don die, to keep di national identity alive. Radio Basma dey do religious and humanitarian programme wit traditional Palestinian songs to bring di people together.

BBC Emergency Service, wey dem start for November 2023 as Gaza Daily, dey give breaking news, security advice, and aid distribution info from Cairo and London. Dem dey broadcast every day for 05:00 GMT and 15:00 GMT.

Di journalists wey dey work under di constant threat of Israeli air strike sabi say dia voice fit mean di difference between life and death or isolation and reunion.

Iyad Abu Shawish, broadcaster for Basma Radio, tell TRT World, “Every day we dey enter studio, we no sabi if we go come out alive. But we believe say di people need our voice. We dey read di names of di martyrs, announce where dem dey share bread and water, and sometimes play song to give dem small hope.”

Al-Qudrah talk say even wit di danger wey dey, him and him colleagues dey work from makeshift studios for di living room of di houses wey still dey or inside tent.

Dia former office don suffer attack many times by Israel, and some of dia equipment don spoil because of air strike. But dem no give up.

“We dey try adapt,” e talk. “We dey use old spare parts, borrow equipment from oda places, and even dey broadcast from homes or temporary places. To broadcast for war time need creativity and determination.”

Wen power line dey cut during air strike, equipment dey vulnerable. Engineers dey manage old parts, cover antenna wit plastic sheet, and use car battery wen generator fuel finish.

Nabil Sanouno, technician for Radio Palestine, talk say: “Every broadcast na act of resistance. If di antenna fall, we go climb go fix am—even if e mean say we go risk our life.”

Radio don dey carry di story of Palestinian struggle and resilience for long. For di British Mandate time for 1930s, Palestine Broadcasting Service (PBS) dey under colonial control and dem dey censor di programme well well.

After di 1948 Nakba, PBS stop, and Palestinians wait 40 years before dem fit get another homegrown service. For 1994, after di Oslo Accords, dem start Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC). Di Voice of Palestine survive attack for di Second Intifada, wen Israeli air strike destroy dia equipment for Gaza City Al Shujaiah area for 2002. Since dat time, dem dey broadcast for shortwave.

For history, radio don always be lifeline for war time. For World War II, underground stations dey carry coded message to resistance groups. For Bosnia for di 1990s, local broadcast dey keep besieged community connected.

Voice of Palestine don always dey under Israeli suspicion, dem dey accuse am say e dey encourage resistance during Palestinian uprising. Now again, as Gaza dey face long communication blackout, local radio stations dey show say dem still dey important for Palestinian society as resistance tool and voice wey no fit quiet.

For Gaza, radio no be just news tool; e dey like companion and balm. To hear di familiar voice of broadcasters dey reduce di anxiety and isolation wey di siege bring.

“I no ever think say radio go be our only source of information,” university student Liyaan Atallah wey dem displace from central Gaza to Mawasi Camp for Khan Younis talk. “Without internet, I dey feel blind, but radio dey give me small sight back. E don turn our only voice.”

Some programme dey allow listeners call in or send handwritten message to dia family.

“Di most common message wey we dey get na message of steadfastness and prayer,” Al-Qudrah talk. “Listeners dey tell us, ‘Una be our voice, no leave us.’ Some just dey beg make we call dia name for air so dem go know say dem still dey alive and strong. Dis kind moment dey touch us; e dey make us feel say we no be just radio station, but lifeline for di people.”

Radio dey help Palestinian mama dem too. E dey announce where dem dey share small food and medicine, and e dey play song and story to make children happy, bring small normalcy for di middle of di wahala.

Inside di fragile tent wey she pitch after her house destroy, Umm Muhammad, 42-year-old mama from Khan Younis, dey sit wit old radio beside her.

“Di radio don turn our companion,” she talk. “For night we dey put am near pillow, dey listen to news, dey try understand wetin tomorrow go bring.”

But to listen no dey easy. “Sometimes di battery go finish, and we no fit find new one. No electricity to charge device, so we dey off am for long hours even wen we need am well well.”

Her children dey hold di radio pass her. “Dem dey wait for di music segment,” she talk wit tired smile. “Dem like song like Mawtini and Zahrat al-Mada’in. Wen dem hear di music, dem go dey sing loud. For small time, dem dey forget di fear and di sound of di planes.”

For Gaza, radio don show say e be democratic tool wey dey reach everybody, from di displaced people for di camps for di south, to di ones wey dey di north wey decide to stay. E dey connect displaced people for tent and makeshift shelter, and even patients for hospital.

Some family even dey keep small recording of broadcast as part of dia personal archive. So, di radio don turn living and breathing national archive, dey record di details of life for war time, from list of martyrs to popular songs.

“Voice of Palestine go remain loud, no matter how di war strong reach,” Al-Qudrah talk. “For us, radio na lifeline wey dey carry di suffering and strength of Gaza people to di world. Our voice strong pass war.”