They Even Falsified My Age

“My official age is 47, but my real age is 42. May God forgive him — my father forged my birth certificate to marry me off to a man 18 years older than me when I was only 13,” says Itaf, a mother of ten daughters, five sons, and the caregiver of two of her grandchildren. “I haven’t seen him in over nine years. As long as he stays away from me, I’m at peace. May God never forgive him — the abuse I suffered was terrifying,” she says, describing her husband’s absence and the torment he inflicted before abandoning the family. He used to marry off his daughters just to get money, and if he didn’t get what he wanted, he would force them into divorce. The groom’s character, education, number of wives, or age gap didn’t matter — all that mattered to him was the money, Itaf explains. Today, Itaf, her children, and grandchildren live in a place that resembles anything but a home — barely furnished, infested with mold and decay that causes illness among the children. Even the bare minimum of shelter was denied to her by her husband's family, who have set fire to the house and broken its windows on more than one occasion. Her husband chose to escape all responsibility and live in Jordan, leaving behind a trail of suffering for a destitute family that struggles to meet even the most basic needs. Their only source of income is the modest support they receive from the Palestinian Maintenance Fund — and it is far from enough. The family is large, and their suffering immense — hunger, illness, and even the absence of basic health insurance define their daily reality.