On a small table outside a tent in Deir al-Balah, 10-year-old Renad is making "Gaza-style white sauce pasta." She fills a pot with bottled water and lights a small propane burner. She has a fresh onion and a green pepper, but uses canned mushrooms for the sauce.
"It’s hard to get ingredients, it’s very expensive," she tells CTV News. "And some of the ingredients you can’t find."
Renad has a passion for food and is sharing her cooking videos on social media, a way to pass the time and keep her mind off the war. So far, she has 411,000 followers on Instagram.
"Right now, life is very difficult," she says through a translator. "I hope to be able to leave Gaza with my family and live a normal life. But that is expensive." A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family raise money to pay to leave the enclave.
One of the charities helping Renad find ingredients for her recipes is Human Concern International, the oldest Muslim relief organization in Canada.
"With people's donations, we are able to buy these goods," says Hassan Wadi, the charity’s global fund development director. "11 of our trucks have also entred (Gaza)," he says.
Wadi says he got in touch with Renad and her family after seeing her videos online.
"She's smiling and she's laughing and cooking in her pot, beside her tent," he says. "The least we can do is provide some hope."
At the beginning of the war, the house across the street from where Renad lived was bombed. Her sister says she saw the bodies of children scattered across the street, which caused "severe psychological disturbances." Since then, creating cooking content has been an escape.
And While her videos are bubbly and happy, the realities of war often creep in. As she was "unboxing" an aid package, a bomb can be heard exploding nearby.
"That's the typical life of anyone living in Gaza right now," says Wadi. "There are days they are not sleeping. There are days she can't sleep because you hear bombs in the sky not knowing whether one of those bombs will fall on where you are living," he says.
Renad says she is often scared, but is also hopeful. She dreams of one day being a famous chef "with more followers than I have right now." She also hopes for an end to the war.
"We dream to one day live in peace," she says.
It’s unclear when that peace may come, as ceasefire negotiations have stalled.
Last week, U.S. president Joe Biden presented the first phase of an Israeli proposal that would include a temporary six-week truce, but neither Israel nor Hamas have committed to anything. Officials are expected to be in Cairo and Qatar this week meeting with mediators.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
A Saint-Sauveur couple was back in court on Wednesday, accused of attacking a teenager over a prank.
Canada's border agency says it has detained about 50 shipments of cargo over suspicions they were products of forced labour under rules introduced in 2020 — but only one was eventually determined to be in breach of the ban.
The families of the victims of Paul Bernardo will be allowed to attend the serial killer’s upcoming parole hearing in person, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) says.
A Markham hockey buff who built a massive backyard ice rink without permissions or permits has reluctantly agreed to remove the sprawling surface, following a years-long dispute with the city and his neighbours.
A group of researchers say they have more evidence to suggest the COVID-19 pandemic started in a Chinese seafood market where it spread from infected animals to humans. The evidence is laid out in a recent study published in Cell, a scientific journal, nearly five years after the first known COVID-19 outbreak.
A UBC instructor is facing backlash following the release of a 12-minute audio file from a lecture she gave on Sept. 18.
An Emily Carr painting that sold for US$50 at an estate sale has fetched C$290,000 at a Toronto auction.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over their 13-month war in Gaza and the October 2023 attack on Israel respectively.
A UBC instructor is facing backlash following the release of a 12-minute audio file from a lecture she gave on Sept. 18.
A Markham hockey buff who built a massive backyard ice rink without permissions or permits has reluctantly agreed to remove the sprawling surface, following a years-long dispute with the city and his neighbours.
Canada's border agency says it has detained about 50 shipments of cargo over suspicions they were products of forced labour under rules introduced in 2020 — but only one was eventually determined to be in breach of the ban.
A London father and son say they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
A Saint-Sauveur couple was back in court on Wednesday, accused of attacking a teenager over a prank.
An Emily Carr painting that sold for US$50 at an estate sale has fetched C$290,000 at a Toronto auction.
A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Pete Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report made public late Wednesday.
An Alabama prisoner convicted of the 1994 murder of a female hitchhiker is slated Thursday to become the third person executed by nitrogen gas.
Eleven people have been arrested in Serbia in connection with a roof collapse earlier this month at a train station in the northern city of Novi Sad that killed 15 people and severely injured two others, prosecutors said Thursday.
Inside Susan Smith’s car pulled from the bottom of a South Carolina lake in 1994 were the bodies of her two young boys, still strapped in their car seats, along with her wedding dress and photo album. Here's how the case unfolded.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over their 13-month war in Gaza and the October 2023 attack on Israel respectively.
A Florida man was arrested Wednesday and charged with a plot to “reboot” the U.S. government by planting a bomb at the New York Stock Exchange this week and detonating it with a remote-controlled device, according to the FBI.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has nominated former diplomat and U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra to be the American ambassador to Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced embattled minister Randy Boissonnault is out of cabinet.
A Dallas anesthesiologist was sentenced Wednesday to 190 years in prison for injecting a nerve-blocking agent and other drugs into bags of intravenous fluid at a surgical center where he worked, leading to the death of a coworker and causing cardiac emergencies for several patients.
A measles outbreak in New Brunswick that began last month with a single travel-related case is growing and today stands at 44 cases.
Raw pistachios sold by Nutworks are being recalled in Ontario due to possible Salmonella contamination.
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is inviting Canadians to choose the name of the first Canadian Lunar Rover.
Australia’s communications minister introduced a world-first law into Parliament on Thursday that would ban children younger than 16 from social media, saying online safety was one of parents’ toughest challenges.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal President Joe Biden's signature artificial intelligence policy when he returns to the White House.
CTV film critic Richard Crouse says the follow-up to Best Picture Oscar winner 'Gladiator' is long on spectacle, but short on soul.
A Vancouver Swiftie is hoping for a miracle, as the pop star’s Vancouver stop on the Eras Tour inches closer.
An Emily Carr painting that sold for US$50 at an estate sale has fetched C$290,000 at a Toronto auction.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are quickly approaching, meaning many people will be looking to score a deal ahead of the holidays. There are some precautions to take before shopping online.
The union representing port supervisors in British Columbia is formally challenging the legal and constitutional authority of the federal labour minister to order them back to work.
The heat has been turned up on two Canadian frozen-potato giants who have been named in separate price-fixing lawsuits south of the border.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
CTVNews.ca wants to hear from digital nomads who have taken up location-independent jobs and can work from anywhere with an internet connection.
Delta Air Lines’ newest dining option for first class passengers isn’t anything fancy. In fact, it’s the exact opposite, because it’s fast food.
Major League Baseball will test robot umpires as part of a challenge system during spring training at 13 ballparks hosting 19 teams, which could lead to regular-season use in 2026.
It’s fair to say 2024 has been quite a year for Italian tennis, especially for Jasmine Paolini who capped the best season of her career by winning the decisive match in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals against Slovakia to secure Italy’s first title in 11 years.
Since 2022, Dutch-born rider Rien Schuurhuis has become the first cyclist to compete for the tiny city-state of the Vatican at an elite level.
Even though sales of electric vehicles aren't growing as fast as in past years and President-elect Donald Trump may ditch tax credits for EV buyers, automakers are moving ahead with new models that should appeal to mainstream buyers.
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
In Canada a car is stolen every six minutes, though some vehicles are more sought after than others.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
Toronto radio and podcast host Jax Irwin has recently gone viral for videos of her cute -- and at times confusing -- phone conversations.
Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven.
A Nova Scotia couple fulfilled their wildest dreams Thursday night when they got engaged at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto.
Some Calgary residents caught what appeared to be a meteor streaking across the sky early on Wednesday morning.
Four years ago, Phill Hebb started up 'Phil’s Unique Birdhouses' and since then, they’ve made their way all across Canada and into the United States.
A Vancouver Swiftie is hoping for a miracle, as the pop star’s Vancouver stop on the Eras Tour inches closer.
Several thousand British Columbians remain in the dark Wednesday morning after a windstorm known as a bomb cyclone slammed coastal communities.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
A Toronto woman who was defrauded out of $158,000 in a roofing scam over the summer received about half her money back following a tip from a CTV News viewer.
A man is dead and his son is in custody following a stabbing in the Agincourt area in Scarborough.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
Calgarians woke up to more snow on Thursday, part of a system of weather that's expected to continue until at least Saturday.
Calgary police are seeking information in relation to a Tuesday fire in Hillhurst that they believe was deliberately set and allegations it could be connected to a frightening Bitcoin scam.
The Calgary Zoo says its two-year-old western lowland gorilla named Eyare died after being hit by a hydraulic door at the rear of the exhibit.
The consortium responsible for building Ottawa's new north-south line, TransitNext, says it is ready for the City of Ottawa to begin the final phase of approvals before opening the line to the public.
Environment Canada’s forecast calls for Ottawa to receive 10 to 15 mm of rain today, another 15 to 25 mm of rain tonight, and 5 to 10 mm on Friday.
Thirty-nine new photo radar cameras will be installed to keep an eye on Ottawa roads over the next 14 months, including on roads in the rural villages of Dunrobin, Manotick, Richmond and Vars.
It's official — Quebec has set a new record for the most stolen vehicles recovered in one year by Canadian border agents.
Three young males, 16, 18 and 20, were arrested after a Montreal police car was rammed by a suspected stolen vehicle in NDG and a foot chase eventually ensued in Montreal North.
Finance Minister Eric Girard will give an update on Quebec's public finances on Thursday morning when he presents an economic statement.
Alberta’s government is poised to overhaul the province’s auto insurance system, with a no-fault model emerging as the most likely, offered to counter rising premiums.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
Dillon Ford has never marked Transgender Day of Remembrance before.
The leaders of Nova Scotia’s three main political parties will take part in a roundtable discussion at CTV Atlantic in Halifax on Thursday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
A 19-year-old is facing charges after video of him allegedly driving close to 200 km/h while holding alcohol was shared on social media in the Yarmouth, N.S., area.
Sea Bears centre Chad Posthumus has died at age 33.
A Winnipeg woman is warning others to be on guard after she was nearly duped by an elaborate scam involving fake Manitoba Hydro workers, Bitcoin machines, and a “frightening” amount of her own personal information.
A handful of schools across Manitoba are closed on Thursday due to dangerous road conditions.
Three Credit Unions in Saskatchewan are exploring a potential merger as soon as early 2025.
Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Greg Lawrence has been sentenced to 12 months probation – after pleading guilty to one count of assault.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
A man who plead guilty to a double stabbing in 2015 will soon be out on statutory release, but he'll have to follow some strict conditions set out by the parole board.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service presented their 2025 budget, totaling $252.5 million, to the Region of Waterloo’s Strategic Planning and Budget Committee on Wednesday morning.
The families of the victims of Paul Bernardo will be allowed to attend the serial killer’s upcoming parole hearing in person, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) says.
A 15-year-old girl who was set on fire at a Saskatoon high school earlier this fall is still recovering in hospital.
A Saskatoon teen accused of driving a car involved in a high-speed crash that killed a 16-year-old last spring has pleaded guilty to his charges.
Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Greg Lawrence has been sentenced to 12 months probation – after pleading guilty to one count of assault.
Next week, Sudbury city council will decide how to rehabilitate the College Street underpass, which was built in 1949.
Greater Sudbury Police has taken delivery of body cameras for its officers and will begin training next month.
The owner at a North Bay rental home has been fined and seven people displaced after a kitchen fire Tuesday.
A London father and son say they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
Life in London’s homeless encampments will get even more dangerous when winter weather arrives because city hall is not providing a Winter Response to Homelessness this year.
Back in July, Nicolas Lemke plead guilty to impaired driving causing the death of Aiden Curtis, and impaired driving causing bodily harm to two other adults who were injured.
Emergency crews had to rescue one person trapped inside a vehicle after a collision in Craighurst Thursday morning.
The results are in from a commercial motor vehicle safety blitz provincial police conducted earlier this week and include a dozen vehicles taken off the roads.
Several apparent homemade explosive devices were found inside an RV where an allegedly armed man had barricaded himself for 16 hours, forcing evacuations in the north end of Barrie, police said.
The death of two pedestrians in a Walkerville car crash has prompted calls for the City of Windsor to implement a safety plan it approved in January.
*WARNING: This story contains graphic content that some may find disturbing. Reader's discretion is advised.*
A Kingsville family, who for years put up elaborate Christmas lights and decor outside their home on Marshwoods Boulevard, has instead put up a for sale sign this year.
The clean up was well underway Wednesday on Vancouver Island after a night of chaos.
Several thousand British Columbians remain in the dark Wednesday morning after a windstorm known as a bomb cyclone slammed coastal communities.
One person is unaccounted for after a fire that destroyed a home in Nanaimo's south end Wednesday morning.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
There’s a new way to give this holiday season.
Lethbridge police say four teenagers have been arrested in connection with an autumn attack that saw a 16-year-old badly injured.
Some Lethbridge residents will be heading to the polls next month to elect their next MLA. The Government of Alberta announced the Lethbridge-West byelection will take place on Dec. 18.
Students in Sault College’s business accounting program have a new learning pathway that will ultimately give them a head start to a career.
The Transport Safety Board of Canada says the crew of a Porter Airlines flight landing in Sault Ste. Marie in April 2023 didn't realize the plane was so far down the runway.
The owner at a North Bay rental home has been fined and seven people displaced after a kitchen fire Tuesday.
An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy.
A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada's plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized.
The four women sipping tea around an antique wooden table in rural Newfoundland said they weren't looking for much in a mate: kindness, humour, a good sense of fun and, ideally, a full set of teeth.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
