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‘Part of Who I Am’: Gazans recall the possessions they carried into war and displacement

Three years after the war began, Palestinians describe saving books, pets and keepsakes as they fled their homes

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Three years after the war in Gaza began, Al Jazeera spoke to Palestinians about the few possessions they took when forced to flee their homes. Their stories reveal profound personal losses and the impossible choices made in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced entire communities.

When Israel's war on Gaza began after October 7, 2023, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians received forced displacement orders and left their homes. By September 27, 2026, at least 74,018 Palestinians had been killed and 175,079 injured, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health.

Some fled with nothing. Others saved what they could not bear to leave behind.

Omar Abdel Hakim Hamad, 30, received a displacement order in Beit Hanoon at about midnight. Despite heavy bombardment, he stayed a little longer to collect what he could, fearing he might never return. The first thing he thought of saving was his personal library of about 500 books. He managed to take about 200, prioritising old and rare books. “They are part of who I am,” he said. Displaced 13 times since October 2023, Omar now runs the Phoenix Library in Gaza City, which contains about 7,000 books, including 3,000 rescued from destroyed libraries. During famine-like conditions, he considered exchanging his entire library for a kilogram or two of flour.

Shahd Abu Khosa, 30, left her home in al-Jalaa on October 16, 2023, with her two dogs, Lily and Bobby. The journey was difficult; Bobby died of starvation. Lily survived by eating what the family ate. “I never thought of leaving Lily behind,” Shahd said, describing her as part of the family.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The accounts put a human face on the scale of loss in Gaza, showing what people value when stripped of almost everything.
  • The items saved, from books to pets, reflect deep personal and cultural identity under extreme duress.
  • The stories highlight the ongoing humanitarian crisis, including repeated displacement and famine-like conditions.

Background

The war in Gaza began after Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's subsequent military campaign caused widespread destruction and repeated forced displacements across the Gaza Strip. Aid agencies have warned of famine, and the territory's infrastructure has been severely damaged. The interviews were published by Al Jazeera as the conflict approached the three-year mark.

Key Perspectives

Displaced Palestinians: Their accounts show an effort to preserve identity, memory and relationships amid survival. Saving rare books or a pet represents an attempt to maintain a sense of normal life and continuity when everything else has been lost. Humanitarian observers: The narratives underscore the immense scale of displacement, the trauma of repeated relocations, and the deprivation that forced impossible trade-offs, such as exchanging a personal library for basic food.

What to Watch

  • Whether aid access improves and whether famine conditions persist in Gaza
  • The state of Gaza's cultural and educational institutions, like the Phoenix Library, and whether they can be sustained or rebuilt
  • Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict or negotiate humanitarian ceasefires

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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