“Going into Gaza, that pit of fear was more like a web that sat on my chest and never settled.”

Arwa Damon has been in plenty of war zones, but going into Gaza was unlike anything she’s yet experienced.

The veteran CNN correspondent joins New Lines’ Faisal Al Yafai on The Lede for a conversation about her recent humanitarian mission into the Palestinian territory. They discuss the moving and heartbreaking human interactions Damon had with Palestinians in Gaza, the Israeli strike on the World Central Kitchen convoy that killed seven aid workers just days before Damon’s trip, and the lasting impact of journalists not being allowed into Gaza to cover the conflict.

Damon also picks up on the topic she discussed in her last appearance on The Lede. Back in November, she spoke with Al Yafai about how trauma impacts decision-making in situations like the Israel-Hamas conflict. That episode, titled “The Emotional Fog Of War,” has since been nominated for multiple awards.

Further listening: The Emotional Fog Of War — With Arwa Damon

Further reading: Gaza in a Million Pieces

Produced by Finbar Anderson