I remember the day in August 2022 when, finally, the war was over. A ceasefire had been agreed to, and the Israeli drones were no longer buzzing overhead in the sky.
For three days, Israel had terrorized Gaza with airstrikes.
I went to help my grandma move the mattresses from the corridor, where we had slept during Israel’s attacks. Then I went for a long-awaited walk.
It felt like a luxury to go for a walk after sheltering inside from the airstrikes.
I bumped into a neighbor on the street and we greeted each other with al-hamduillah al-salama, roughly, thank God for our safety.
The words sounded light-hearted, but the intent behind the phrase was sincere. The rest of the walk was surreal in its “normalcy.” How could this be after the horrors of the past several days?
I received a message on my phone from my professor that class would be re-convening soon, and, of course, al-hamduillah al-salama.
It felt like too much to process: How could life just go back to normal? ….more
