Gaza Bookseller Defies Bombs and Hunger to Deliver Stories

In a Gaza Strip shattered by war and hunger, one man is making sure people still receive books. Samir Mansour continues to operate his book delivery service despite extreme danger and hardship. He works as bombs fall around him and as famine conditions grip the population. "People need food for their bodies, but they also need food for their minds," Mansour explains. He believes books provide critical mental escape and hope during the crisis. His service functions through a network of social media contacts and volunteers. Customers message requests, and Mansour coordinates deliveries of whatever books he can source. Genres range from academic textbooks and novels to children's stories. The risks are severe. Israeli airstrikes have destroyed cultural sites, including Mansour's own two-story bookstore and publishing house in 2021. He rebuilt it, only for the current conflict to force him into a mobile operation. International observers report widespread destruction of Gaza's infrastructure and a severe hunger crisis. The UN uses the term "famine" to describe conditions in parts of the territory. Mansour says the demand for books remains. "In the darkness," he states, "a story can be a small light."