A Palestinian father and journalist reflects on the ceasefire in Gaza
On the morning of Sunday, Jan. 19, I turned to my son, Rafik. He was building something with blocks, his small hands working furiously to stack them higher and higher. I watched as the tower wobbled and fell. He laughed and started over again. He kept rebuilding, and it kept falling, over and over. I could feel it inside me, somehow — joy and sorrow fighting for control, just like my son’s toy tower. One moment, his laughter lifted me; the next, the weight of everything we’d lost crushed me.
Rafik’s tower reminded me of Gaza. Amid the ceasefire, people will return to their homes, not knowing if they are still standing or if they will find only rubble. Some homes, like his tower, might still have a few pieces left — a wall here, a doorway there — but the rest will be buried under an avalanche of destruction. But they will begin again. They will dig through the debris, piece by piece, rebuilding what they can. It isn’t hope in the traditional sense. It is a stubborn refusal to give up at a time when the world keeps knocking them down. Rebuilding Gaza will take more than bricks and mortar. It will take resilience, patience and a collective will to rise again, despite the impossible odds, and it will take remembering what was lost while holding on to the belief that what comes next will still be beautiful.
In Gaza, we’re born with the wit to master Advanced Drone Escape 101 and How to Breathe Through Dust 202. By the time this war began, I was already a seasoned student. I had passed the tests five times already, miraculously surviving five destructive wars in just 25 years. So I was familiar with the drill: grab your documents, your children and whatever food you can carry, and run. But knowing the drill doesn’t make it easier. It doesn’t stop your hands from shaking as you pack your son’s backpack with diapers and water bottles instead of toys. It doesn’t stop your heart from pounding as you count the seconds between the whistle of a bomb and the impact, as you wonder if this will be the one that finds you. [Continue reading…]