'There is no place called safe.' In Gaza, a father fears what will happen to his daughter.

Issam Adwan is a new father. His daughter, Sara, is only 2 months old. But unlike most new fathers, Issam has an additional worry: Will his home be bombed by the Israeli military?

Adwan, a 29-year-old freelance journalist, lives in the blockaded Gaza Strip, which was bombarded for three days this month by Israeli airstrikes. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant group separate from Hamas, fired rockets in response.

A cease-fire has remained in place between Israel and Palestinian militants after attacks by Israel that killed 49 Palestinians, including 17 children.

Israel says some of the deaths on the Palestinian side were caused by Palestinian rockets. There were no deaths on the Israeli side.

'I am a new father of a 2-month-old'

After the cease-fire had gone into effect, I called Adwan at his home in the southern city of Rafah, in the Gaza Strip. As we spoke, I heard the voices of little kids in the background.

Adwan told me: "I am a new father of a 2-month-old. I feel so guilty that I brought a kid into this place; it is really a mistake. The bombings reminded me of this guilt I used to fight. People living in Gaza are suffering PTSD. I went into therapy myself. For the kids it's really heartbreaking – it's hard to act resiliently in front of them. You don't want to terrify them by yourself breaking into tears. That is why we are laughing, singing. But we don't actually feel any sense of happiness or hope. Everything is just getting worse."

Adwan's voice trembled as he explained, "The question is always, 'Am I going to be next?' Or worse: 'Is it going to be the people that I love?' If it is people I love, then it might be the end of the world for me."

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This is the worst fighting between Israel and a Gaza militant group since last year's 11-day war between Israel and Hamas that killed at least 230 Palestinians, including 65 children. Militants killed 12 people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl.

"For the kids ..." Adwan's voice drifted off. "I don't know what can be done to help them. The reality here in Gaza there is no place called 'safe.' You can be targeted anytime, anywhere. This is our nightmare."

'People are trying to survive'

In spite of international law – including Articles 51 (protection of the civilian population) and 77 (protection of children) of the Protocol Additional (I) to the Geneva Conventions, which Palestine ratified in 2014 but Israel has not – Palestinian children have suffered significantly during Israeli attacks on Gaza.

And while Israel maintains that these attacks are part of its right to self-defense, journalists and human rights experts have long noted multiple incidents of disproportionate use of force from the Israeli side, and they question whether the use of force by an occupying power is legal.

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Proportionality is a fundamental element of defense of self under U.S. and international law.

Palestinian militant groups have also committed violence. A March report by Michelle Bachelet, United Nations high commissioner for human rights, found that "indiscriminate attacks carried out by Palestinian armed groups were a violation of international humanitarian law, causing civilian casualties and significant damage to civilian objects in Israel."

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Clearing his throat, Adwan said proudly, "You only know of us when there are large numbers of us dying, our homes bombed. But at the end of this paradox people are being resilient; people are trying to survive. If you dig deep enough in that story of loss, there is also a story of love."

I hope for many more stories of love, and many fewer stories of loss, for the people of Gaza.

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You can follow Issam on Twitter: @Issam_Adwan

Carli Pierson, a New York licensed attorney, is an opinion writer with USA TODAY and a member of the USA TODAY Editorial Board. Follow her on Twitter: @CarliPiersonEsq

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gaza cease-fire between Israel, Palestinian militants holds