Oxfam Novib (Netherlands)

In the midst of the war in Gaza, 5-year-old Hind Rajab and her family seek safety. To escape reality, they dance to loud music in the car. Their flight is abruptly stopped by an Israeli tank that opens fire without warning. Trapped in the car, surrounded by tanks, the girls try to hold on. They comfort each other and dream out loud about a future that seems increasingly distant. They keep in touch with the emergency services, who promise to rescue them as soon as the army gives permission. What began as a search for safety ends in a tragedy that exposes the core of the war.

A portrait of two Palestinian women whose individual struggles both define and transcend the politics that have torn apart their homes and their lives. Farah Hatoum, a widow living with her children and grandchildren, and Sahar Khalifeh, a novelist from the West Bank.