Khan Yunis of Gaza Strip, Palestine – Leaning on a wooden cane, 72-year-old Fati Abu al-Ayed navigates the streets of tiled rubbish bugs in the Al-Katiba district of Khan Yunis. Almawasi follows the ceasefire of Gaza on January 19th. Carefully stepping into the fragments left before the 15 months of relentless Israeli bombing, he lifts his wand and points to the destroyed home.
“Do you see a useless tile pile of bleed tiles?” he says. “It’s more valuable than the United States and all of it.”
His audience – a group of children, including some of his 50 children and grandchildren, listen unwaveringly and enthusiastically to the prediction of heavy rains and strong winds. Others join them – and children from refugees who have returned to their former abandoned ins, not unharmed homes. They reconstruct their lives in the wreckage, as they can no longer go anywhere else.
Every morning, Abu al-Sword exchanges resilience words with his neighbor. But on this day, President Donald Trump’s recent remarks on Gaza – his fantasy about building the Palestinians “Riviera in the Middle East” provides new material for his irony and rebellion.
“Trump talks as if he is the king who hands out the land,” Abu al-Shod scrunches. “Maybe he should move his Israeli friend somewhere outside of Palestine and leave Gaza alone.”
Trump’s comments, which led to widespread criticism, outlined plans to reset Gaza’s Palestinians elsewhere while the US would “take over” and “own” the territory. Standing beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – facing International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Gaza’s warrant – Trump claims Palestinians are better than their “bad luck” did.
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to return Trump’s proposal to resettle Palestinians “forever” and said they would need to live elsewhere “tentatively” when the enclave is rebuilt. .
“Award-winning fantasy”
Over 60% of Gaza’s infrastructure, including hospitals, universities and schools, have been destroyed throughout the 15-month Israeli bombing. Washington was Israel’s biggest supporter under the previous US administration, sending $17.9 billion in military aid in the first year of the war. This is the highest annual total ever.
“This is about a madman,” says Abu al-Shod. “And as the Arabs say, “If the speaker is a madman, make the listener sane.” This man knows nothing about his hometown, his struggle, his rebellion, his pride, or his Palestine. ”
Dismissing Trump’s comments as absurd, Abu al-Shod shook his head. “It’s the best fantasy world leaders have ever dreamed of,” he says, moving between disbelief and laughter. “The sane people who know the Palestinians understand that leaving our home is like death itself. Trump really thinks we’ll pack up our bags and chase all this. Did you have it?”
For Abu al-Saeed, the idea of massive displacement is personal. His father was kicked out of Jaffa, now part of Israel in 1948 by Zionist militias, and his mother’s family was expelled from nearby villages of Sarafand. He grew up in that first catastrophe, Nakba story, and now lives through another person.
“We already know what it means to lose everything,” he says, gestures of the abandoned ins. “But we also know what it means to hold it.”
The war drove away 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people. Many people rose to their feet and returned to destroy the wreckage, not the standing house. Cleaned up the debris, saved what they could, or set up a tent on top of the ruins.
“Even under the genocide, we didn’t leave,” says Abu al-Shod, his voice is stable. “It’s not that there’s no other place to go. It’s our homeland. All the bricks here are worth more to us than everything the US can offer.”
For a week, Trump put pressure on Egypt and Jordan to absorb Gaza’s population and pitched redevelopment plans as a job project. However, even his allies such as Cairo, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have completely rejected the idea.
“Trump has to think we live in a hotel where we can close,” laughs Abu al-Shod. “But Gaza is not a real estate project. It’s our land.”
He hits the tile ble. “This Earth is mixed with our sweat and blood. No one will leave here – regardless of threats or promises.”
“Is he crazy or is he stupid?”
Sitting on a pile of shards surrounded by enthusiastic children, Abu al-Shod laughs at his 10-year-old grandson, Mohammad.
“Trump says they should leave Gaza and move to Egypt or Jordan. What do you think?”
The boy laughs. “Is he crazy or stupid? Why are we leaving? Gaza is part of Palestine!”
Other children have their voices rising: “Who will leave their home? We will stay, rebuild and fight for it.”
Abu al-Saeed laughs. “I have your answer, Trump. Even our kids know better than you.”
During the war, Israeli bombings, starvation tactics and attacks on hospitals have killed more than 17,400 children, and thousands more isolated.
“What logic is this?” asks Abu al-Shod. “Are they surprised when they starved us, bombed us, then refused to leave?”
He adds, quoting the inbreakable bonds that the Palestinians feel in their lands. “Do you know what will never happen again? We’re leaving.”
He believes Trump doesn’t understand the Palestinians or their struggles. “Israel was built on the lies of “land without people,” he says. “But we are here and we are staying.”
His eyes are narrowing. “For Trump, like Netanyahu, the only solution is for the Palestinians to disappear.”
Despite his age, his back straightens, Abu al-Shod says, “But we won’t.”
This work was released in collaboration with EGAB.
