A Historian in Gaza

‘An unflinching eyewitness account of the destruction wreaked by Israel, with Anglo-American support. Look no further for an impartial account of the tragedy of the Palestinians, caught between Hamas’s fanaticism and Netanyahu’s ethnic cleansing.’ — Pratinav Anil, Guardian

‘Jean-Pierre Filiu has just published a supplement to his wonderful history, Gaza, called A Historian in Gaza. His book counts as essential reading to understand what is happening in that most troubled and tragic region.’ — William Dalrymple, Spectator

Longlisted for the 2026 Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing

Selected as a 'Book of the Year' by the Guardian and Spectator

‘The Gaza I knew, and whose length and breadth I’ve travelled, has ceased to exist.’

Jean-Pierre Filiu, acclaimed historian of Gaza, is intimately familiar with the land’s people and places; he speaks the local dialect. But nothing prepared him for what he encountered there in December 2024. This is his unforgettable, unbearably intimate account of one month in a place shattered by Israel’s all-out war.

When the historian returned to Gaza, he arrived under circumstances unimaginably different from his many past visits since 1980: only a limited number of convoys were allowed into the Strip, and he was one of the few humanitarians able to enter, this time by night. He remained inside for thirty-three days, and emerged determined to bear witness to the devastation—to the Gazans fighting simply to live, every single day.

Filiu’s haunting portrait of a land betrayed is a grim work of war reportage, documented with the acuity of a historian; and a lyrical narrative of human suffering, and human dignity.

• A noted historian of Gaza provides a first-hand account of conditions on the ground
• With journalists banned from entering Gaza, Filiu offers a rare opportunity to see inside the devastated territory
• Forces us to confront the brutal human suffering Gazans face on a daily basis
• The author’s previous book, Gaza: A History was the Winner of the Middle East Monitor Palestine Book Award