Naila Ayesh was an activist and student organizer in the years leading up to the First Intifada. Born in Jerusalem, she moved to Gaza in 1986 after marrying her husband, Jamal Zakout, and became increasingly active in political organizing and the women’s movement. Naila was arrested and tortured by the Israeli army before the uprising, leading to a miscarriage while in prison. When the Intifada broke out, she and her husband became an integral part of the uprising’s mobilizing efforts. After Jamal was deported for his political activities, she was arrested again and forced to bring her infant son, Majd, into Israeli prison. Following her release, Naila continued to be involved in the underground leadership of the Intifada, organizing sit-ins, marches, and boycotts, and distributing leaflets to help coordinate the movement across Palestinian society. She later became the General Director of the Women's Affairs Center in Gaza.