The Reality of Returning to Gaza
When a Palestinian journalist arrived in Deir al-Balah just before Eid, she expected destruction and grief — but was struck by the changes to everyday life Athar Abu SamraAthar Abu Samra is a Palestinian writer and translator from Gaza Illustration by Joanna Andreasson for New Lines Magazine For nearly three years, I lived in Cairo, while Gaza existed for me through phone screens. I followed the war through calls with my family, voice notes from friends and the steady stream of news alerts that arrived at all hours of the day. Like many Palestinians stranded outside, I learned to measure time by the messages that did — and did not — arrive. A missed call could trigger panic. A short text saying “We are fine” could bring relief for a few hours before the cycle began again. From Cairo, I tried to stay connected to a place that increasingly felt beyond reach. I listened as relatives described displacement, shortages and loss. I watched familiar streets appear in photographs and videos, sometimes barely recognizable beneath the destruction. As a writer and journalist, I spent years gathering fragments of Gaza through other people’s accounts, trying to understand a reality I could not witness myself. When I finally returned, I expected to find a changed city. I expected destruction and grief. What I did not expect was how quickly my attention would shift to the details of daily life: finding water, charging a phone, cooking a meal and planning around shortages. From afar,...
Click here to continue reading
