As Sunday marks Land Day, a displaced Palestinian family expressed their profound attachment to their homeland, even after being uprooted due to continuing Israeli expulsions.
March 30 is observed as Land Day, a vital commemoration for Palestinians marking the 1976 killing of six Palestinian citizens of Israel by Israeli police during protests against the expropriation of thousands of donums of Palestinian land. It has since become a powerful symbol of resistance to Israeli land confiscations. This year's Land Day stands as a poignant reminder for Taisir Al-Suwaisi and his family, who, despite being displaced only a few kilometers from their hometown, cannot return.
Al-Suwaisi's family, originally from central Gaza, once lived off the land their ancestors cultivated for generations. With hard work, they built a four-story home beside their farmland, where over 30 family members lived together, supporting each other. Al-Suwaisi fondly recalled that, although their life was humble, it was filled with happiness as they had enough to live on.
However, war has shattered everything. For more than a year now, Al-Suwaisi and his family have been displaced four times, moving from Khan Younis, Rafah, and Deir al-Balah before settling in a refugee camp in Gaza. Now, they live in four makeshift tents.
The once self-sufficient family now relies entirely on aid to survive. The men gather food and water daily, while trying to reinforce their tents with salvaged materials from the ruins to protect against the harsh winds and sand. The women prepare the family's only meal, made from provided flour.
"There is a famous Palestinian saying, 'A person without a home has no dignity.' When we were forced to leave our home, we lost our dignity, our sense of decency. What we now have is just a piece of fabric. Can this fabric protect our entire family? Can it provide what we need? This is no life," Al-Suwaisi said.
Despite the hardships in the camp, Al-Suwaisi remains resolute, insisting that neither he nor his fellow Palestinians will give in. He strongly believes that one day, they will return to their homeland.
"We will stay here, unyielding. Even as Israel continues to strike us, we will not leave this land, and we will not compromise with anyone," he said, his voice trembling with emotion.
What's worse, schools have been destroyed, and many, including Al-Suwaisi's nine-year-old granddaughter, have lost their right to education. Still, she clings to her torn textbooks and uses a broken mirror to comb her hair each day.
She said her grandfather told her that, even though the mirror is shattered, life must go on, and one day, they will return to their rightful home.
"My grandfather told us, this land is ours. When the Israeli occupation ends, we will return to our homeland and live there because this is our land. We love it so much, and once the Israeli army leaves, we will go back," she said.
The Palestinian death toll in Gaza Strip has risen to 50,277, with 114,095 injured, since the latest round of Israel-Hamas fighting erupted on October 7, 2023, according to Gaza health authorities on Friday. Additionally, since March 18, Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip have resulted in 921 deaths and 2,054 injuries.
Displaced Palestinian family reflects on unshaken bond to homeland on Land Day
Displaced Palestinian family reflects on unshaken bond to homeland on Land Day
