In War-Torn Gaza, 2-Year-Old Baker Transforms Survival into Resilience with the Barest Ingredients

Amid Gaza’s war and displacement, Palestine’s youngest baker, 2-year-old Leen has found a way to bring warmth and resilience to her shattered world. 

While her family struggles to rebuild their lives after losing everything in Gaza, Leen has become a source of comfort for those around her. 

What started as an innocent fascination, watching her mother bake while they sought refuge in a UNRWA school, has now turned into a form of creative survival. 

Leen’s family’s tent during displacement 

 

With scarce ingredients and an uncertain future, Leen’s baking is more than just a pastime; it is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to create joy amid despair. 

Leen’s family, like hundreds of thousands of others in Gaza, has endured unimaginable loss. 

Her parents, Hanadi Walid Alashi and her husband, along with her infant brother Jamal—were forced to flee their home in Khan Younis as relentless airstrikes turned entire neighborhoods into rubble. 

“We returned home, but there was no home left. Just rubble,” Alashi told AMT. 

The family endured nights of bitter cold with nowhere to go, relying on shelters and the kindness of strangers. 

Alashi’s husband was also detained and tortured, and their phones were confiscated, cutting them off from any means of communication. Yet through the fear and uncertainty, Leen’s enthusiasm for baking became a small but powerful light in their lives. 

“Leen loves watching me bake, imitating my every move, and asking to help,” Alashi said. “Even when we had almost nothing, she still found a way to create.”

But finding ingredients during the war was a challenge. 

With supply chains disrupted and markets emptied, even basic staples became nearly impossible to obtain. “Some recipes were incomplete, and whatever we could find was extremely expensive,” Alashi shared with AMT. “Yet somehow, Leen’s excitement for baking never faded.” 

The Alashi family is not alone in their struggle. 

By late Tuesday, Gaza’s Hamas authorities reported that more than 650,000 displaced people had attempted to return to northern Gaza, where the war had been most intense. Many walked more than 12 miles along the coastal highway, carrying what little they had left. 

It has been reported that at least 135,000 tents are needed, but as of Jan. 19, only 2,000 had arrived. With so many homes uninhabitable, returning families face the painful reality of having nowhere to go.  

Leen with her infant brother Jamal

 

While the ceasefire has allowed families to sleep without the constant fear of bombings, life is far from normal. Markets have reopened, but food prices remain high, and infrastructure is in ruins. 

Despite the uncertainty, Leen’s family is doing what they can to survive. With no home to return to and limited financial resources, Hanadi has turned to donations to keep her children safe and fed. 

“The war has left us in a very difficult situation,” she said. “We’ve created a donation link to help meet our basic needs while we try to rebuild our lives.” 

Those who wish to support Leen and her family can contribute here.