Palestinian expatriates reflect on their deep sense of loss every summer when they see friends go for summer vacation to their respective home countries.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Rehab, a 49-year-old business owner, who requested not to give his full name, told Khaleej Times. She said: “When I see other UAE expats go on vacation to their home countries, I remember how I can’t go back to mine.”
“When I got married, I realised I couldn’t go to Gaza any more because my husband is from the West Bank. To enter the occupied land, we would have to take different routes, and with a kid on the way, we didn’t want to risk getting stuck in Gaza. It was very heartbreaking – the place is my home, and my family is still there. I haven’t seen some of my relatives in 24 years.”
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Palestinians who spoke to Khaleej Times said that “visiting home remains a distant dream”. Border restrictions and political complexities have created insurmountable barriers for those longing to reconnect with their homeland.
Last visit home
Nihal, a 53-year-old stay-at-home mother, who also asked to remain anonymous, last visited Gaza in 2005. “The last time I went to Gaza was before giving birth to my last daughter. I didn’t know that was going to be my last visit home. It’s very sad,” she said.
Heba, a 48-year-old school receptionist, has also not been to Gaza in 18 years. She shared: “When I graduated from college, I got a job and got married, and got carried away with life. Now, after losing relatives in the war, I regret not going when I could have. You never know when someone is going to die; life is not guaranteed. Every night before I sleep, I cry because I am very sad.”
Military offensives continue relentlessly in Gaza and Palestinians are forced to leave several neighbourhoods, including areas that had been originally designated as part of a humanitarian zone.
Striving to stay connected
Despite the ongoing war that made being away from home more distant, the Palestinian women who spoke to Khaleej Times said they strive to stay connected with their loved ones in Gaza.
Rehab now relies on text messages to communicate with her family. “Before the war, we used Botim all the time, but now I only text them because I can’t handle seeing the misery they are living in. It breaks my heart,” she said.
Nihal, who used to visit her relatives for brief reunions in Egypt, shared: “I speak to my relatives over the phone. Before the war, we used to meet in Egypt and spend a week together. Now it is impossible.”
Simplicity of communal life
For Rehab, the one thing she misses most is the simplicity of life in Gaza. “I miss the simple life,” she said, adding: “Don’t get me wrong. I am very happy to be where I am today in the UAE. But in Gaza, life was much simpler. It reminds me of the older generations, where everything is slow-paced and simple. I miss my sisters and cousins. To think I haven’t seen my sister in 24 years makes me go crazy.”
Nihal, for her part, yearns for the communal cooking traditions. She shared: “I miss cooking in Gaza. It sounds funny, but it is so different to cook in Gaza compared here. There, you don’t only cook for your family; you cook for the neighbours as well.”
Heba, meanwhile, misses the close-knit community and gatherings. “I miss how close everyone is to each other, the gatherings, and the late nights. When I was in Gaza, we had people visit us every day. You never felt alone, and that I miss a lot.”