78 years ago, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, seen by many Palestinians as a national catastrophe, or "Nakba," tore through the Gaza Strip, resulting in mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians. However, 78 years later, many believe that the history repeats itself as the massive exodus, the tents, and the ruins have returned to the same land.
Palestinian resident Mohammad Said Abdullah El-Bairouti was forced to flee home as a child in 1948, but today, in his 90s, he finds himself living in a displacement camp, losing home for the second time.
Mohammad and his family now live at a tent in Gaza City shelters. The elderly man recalled that he originally lived with his parents in Jaffa, near Tel Aviv. After the outbreak of the war in 1948, his entire family of more than a dozen people was forced to flee, moving from place to place before finally reaching the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
Reaching into his memories, Mohammad pulled out a faded cloth bag containing items he had kept for decades: yellowed old photographs and his vocational training graduation certificate. Over the years, he managed to settle in Gaza. He married, had children, and worked hard to pay for their education.
However, the latest round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that erupted on October 7, 2023 has reduced his world to a tent once again.
"This round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has brought us unprecedented humiliation. We are now like primitive people thrown into the desert, without water, food, and shelter. We have suffered greatly in our lives. Displaced people have no dignity," he said.
Twice-displaced Palestinian in Gaza says current war reminds him of 1948 "Nakba"
Twice-displaced Palestinian in Gaza says current war reminds him of 1948 "Nakba"
