A Palestinian family lives on top of the rubble of a demolished house in Gaza By Reuters
Written by Mahmoud Essa
BEIT LAHIA, Gaza Strip (Reuters) – The al-Kahloot family lives on in the memory of Gaza after being driven out by Israeli bombardment and returned to a large tent erected on top of the rubble of their home.
“We live in this tent because it is our place and our home. It is our house, we will not abandon it, it has our dreams and memories,” said Umm Nael al-Kahloot, whose son was killed at the beginning of the Hamas-Israel war.
“We had good memories in this house, I’m trying to heal our pain and find a place to live. We can’t live far from home, even if there are strong (Israeli) strikes, we will go there for a day or two and then return to our place.”
Many Palestinian families share their grief as Israeli airstrikes and heavy bombardment have killed tens of thousands of people and reduced much of the Gaza Strip to rubble since Hamas launched an attack on Israel across the border on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking. about 250 were captured.
Many homes like al-Kahloot’s were destroyed, displacing families, some of whom returned with the hope that at least part of their homes had survived the airstrikes and bombings.
al-Kahloot’s house, which is part of the concrete rubble in the densely built-up northern Gaza city of Beit Lahia, has five floors, all of which collapsed. But the family is still attached to their home, clinging to destruction.
“Despite all the struggle we are facing and the tragedies we have seen, wandering around, we could not live anywhere else but here,” said Ismail al-Kahloot, who is Umm Nael’s husband.
“Five families eat, sleep and live in this tent you see here.”
Umm Nael hangs clothes to dry on a line and waters her plants. He arranges the pots of food and puts them on the open fire.
“Why all this suffering? What did we do to deserve all this? We can’t help ourselves, we have no hand in all this (war),” he said.
“We couldn’t save anything in the house, work (studio) or furniture, everything went under the trash. These are old things. I clean them as best I can.”
