For many Palestinians residing in the UAE, the pull of their homeland is strong, often leading them to go back despite the numerous challenges that life in Gaza presents.
For one family, the decision to leave their life in the UAE and return to Gaza was rooted in a deep sense of identity and belonging. However, their dream of building a life in their homeland turned into a nightmare amidst the ongoing October 7 war, now nearing one year.
The family's journey (name withheld due to safety reasons) began when they moved from the UAE to Gaza after getting married. They felt a strong desire to raise their children in their homeland, amidst their people. "We wanted to raise them in their country, where they belong," the mother explained.
Having been born and raised in the UAE, she thinks of it as her second home and acknowledged the relative ease of life here, compared to Gaza. "When we moved to Gaza, we knew that we were going to face difficulties due to the occupation and the siege placed on the place, but it was the right decision for sure."
Their decision was met with surprise and concern from family and friends, who questioned why anyone would choose to live in what has been described as an "open-air prison." Yet, the family's commitment to their land was clear. "They admired that we wanted to be in our land," she added.
When the October 7 war erupted, it was not immediately apparent how drastically life would change. "We thought this would last a couple of months, like all the other wars we've had," she recounted. "However, it is definitely different this time; it is a genocide. We've lost our home, land, businesses, and family."
For the family, still residing in Gaza, the intensity and duration of the current war has brought unimaginable hardships to their daily lives.
"We don’t have a life. That’s all I can say," she said, describing their existence in Gaza now. "We live in a tent; we can barely find food due to shortages, and we don’t have access to our own bathroom, which is a basic human right." The displacement and deprivation have erased the semblance of a normal life, turning survival into their primary concern.
One of the most harrowing experiences was evacuating their home, a place they had spent 21 years building. "It's not only a house; it's a home. We made memories there; our daughter got married there," she said. The loss of their home is the loss of not just a physical structure but a lifetime of memories and hopes.
The psychological toll of the war has been profound. "We have all lost hope. We all want to die and get this over with because, with the pace the war is going, it doesn’t seem like it's going to end soon," she said. The family's mental health has deteriorated to the point where the idea of not waking up to face another day of suffering seems more bearable. "I put my kids in my lap every night, and I hope we all don’t wake up, and just die together," she shared.
While they have received some psychological and financial support from relatives in the UAE, the struggle remains immense. "My sisters who currently reside in the UAE are doing their best; they provide financial support as well as psychological [support]. They’re trying their best...but they don’t know the struggles we are going through," she added.
When asked what she wishes more people understood about life in Gaza during the war, her response was simple yet powerful: "We deserve to live. We deserve the bare minimum of safety, food, and privacy."
Despite the dire situation, the family finds some resilience in their faith. "God is with us; he will help us," she affirmed. It is this faith that keeps them going in a time when hope is a scarce commodity.
The family's story is a poignant reminder of the human cost of war. It underscores the profound impact on individuals who, in their quest for identity and belonging, find themselves caught in the crossfire of a conflict that seems to offer no end in sight.
