Gaza - December 28, 2024 Storyline: As the new year approaches, residents of Gaza remain trapped in war and blockade, with severe shortages of natural gas and fuel forcing them to rely on firewood to endure daily hardships. Eighteen-year-old Mousa Matouk trudged through the ruins of Gaza City, carrying a heavy piece of wood on his back. Displaced from his home, Matouk's daily task is to scavenge for firewood to sell and support his family's basic needs. Across the heavily bombarded and blockaded region, scenes of residents hauling firewood are common. Amid the ruins, people search for anything burnable to cook their meals or stay warm. Since the escalation of the Palestine-Israel conflict on October 7 last year, Israel's comprehensive blockade has nearly halted fuel and natural gas supplies to Gaza. Only limited amounts of fuel have been allowed in. The soaring price and scarcity of firewood have left many families unable to afford it. Local residents said that due to the increased demand for firewood, the forests on the outskirts of Gaza City have now been almost completely stripped bare. With wood supplies dwindling, people have turned to burning tree branches, furniture scraps, and even construction debris. However, the toxic smoke from burning these materials has caused a rise in respiratory illnesses across Gaza. As the shadow of war lingers over the region, the question of how Gaza's residents will face the coming year remains unanswered. Shotlist: Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Dec 28, 2024: 1. Various of Gazan carrying firewood; 2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mousa Matouk, displaced Gazan (ending with shot 3): "We fled from the Jabalia refugee camp. Most of the young men, women, and children here go to Tal al-Hawa in southern Gaza City to collect wood and sell it to survive. Israeli drones often hover overhead, and some have even attacked us. There's no electricity, no water, no gas, nothing we need to live. I spent more than an hour walking far away just to find this piece of wood." 3. Various of Gazans loading tricycle with firewood, carrying firewood; 4. Gazans; 5. Various of Gazan using clay oven, firewood to bake bread; 6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali Bastan, firewood merchant in Gaza (starting with shot 5/ending with shot 7): "Before the war, firewood cost 0.5 shekels per kilogram. But since the Israeli military attacked Jabalia in October this year, prices have skyrocketed to four shekels per kilogram. Most people who come to me now can only afford to buy one or two kilograms of firewood at a time." 7. Various of Bastan taking firewood out of bag; Gazans; 8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nasser Jaber, Gaza City resident "In the past year of war, we've been forced to adopt this way of living. The lack of natural gas has drastically worsened our living standards. It feels like we've gone back to the days of clay ovens and primitive cooking methods." 9. Various of Gazan using clay stove, firewood to cook. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]