The latest episode of PalCast, titled “The Final Evacuation,” featured the powerful voice of Sara Awad, a writer and English literature student from Gaza City. Sara, known for her contributions to outlets such as The Intercept, Truthout, and The Electronic Intifada, spoke from the heart of Gaza about the struggles her community endured. She shared her story of survival, the weight of evacuation orders, and the deep scars left by war.
During the conversation, Sara described how her neighborhood received an evacuation order only an hour before the recording began. She explained how families were torn between staying in their homes despite the risk or leaving everything behind in search of safety. For many, the decision carried heavy financial and emotional costs, with transportation alone costing thousands of dollars. Sara’s own family chose to evacuate, highlighting the impossible choices faced by ordinary people living under siege.
She also spoke about the devastation of the Nasser Hospital bombing, the destruction of Gaza’s universities, and the targeting of journalists. Sara described how her family sheltered relatives, endured hunger, and hid in basements during attacks. Despite these hardships, she emphasized the resilience of Gazans, their love for education, and their refusal to be silenced. She used her writing to document pain, resilience, and hope, reminding listeners that Palestinians are people with dreams and families, not statistics.
This episode of PalCast offered an unfiltered glimpse into life in Gaza during one of its darkest times. Sara’s testimony stood as both a record of suffering and a call for solidarity. “The Final Evacuation” is now available to listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.