Hundreds of foreign women live in the Gaza Strip, despite the conservative society and different culture than their own. They decided to settle permanently in the besieged enclave, despite all the unfavorable circumstances.

Although exact figures are hard to come by, statements from embassies and foreigners living here place the number of non-Arab residents well above 1,000. Many of those who spoke to Al-Monitor came to Gaza after marrying locals. They have managed to integrate into Gazan society and in most cases have started a family. They lived through the Israeli wars that are waged on Gaza and endure the multiple and complex crises that have hit the enclave over the years.

Elena Radwan is a violin instructor at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music. She hails from the city of Voronezh in southwestern Russia and graduated from a private institute for talented musicians in Russia. She is married to a Palestinian surgeon, Issam Radwan, with whom she has three children.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Radwan said, "After we got married we left Russia to settle in the Gaza Strip in 2005. At first, we stayed for some time in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, and then we moved to Gaza City. At that time, I noticed that there were no music schools in the city and I started giving private violin lessons. After a while, I joined the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees before starting work with the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in 2006.”