GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Since the outbreak of the Russian war on Ukraine on Feb. 24, Svetlana al-Farra, a Ukrainian doctor who lives in Khan Yunis (south of the Gaza Strip) spends all her time feeling tense. Her mother, who is in her 70s, and her sister live in Kharkiv, which, like other Ukrainian cities, is being assaulted by Russian warplanes.

The war was a great shock to Svetlana, who is the daughter of a Russian mother and Ukrainian father, and she is now terrified of power cuts and internet outages where her family lives. “This is Ukraine’s first war," she told Al-Monitor. "Everybody is afraid. I wrote to them yesterday to come to Gaza.”

Her nervousness has been palpable during the wars she has witnessed in Gaza, where she has resided since 2000. She can hardly sleep for two hours a day, and her eyes are tired from reading the news on the internet. “I fear for everyone. My sister told me that she took my mother to stay at one of the neighbors’ houses, while the rest of my acquaintances are taking refuge in the metro station.”

Although Svetlana feels powerless at the moment, she has stayed active on social media to inform others of the developments in Ukraine and refute Russian excuses. She said, “I want everyone to know that it is a war targeting civilians in Ukraine. My children are sharing everything that shows solidarity with our people in Ukraine.”