The aphorism that truth is the first casualty of war is matched now with my experience that certainty is the second.
As 300-plus days of genocide unfold in the Gaza Strip, I watch from western Canada, uncertain about the well-being of many loved ones. Our family in Edmonton mines the internet for clues about the fate of family and friends trapped inside Gaza’s deathly prison.
The Muhsen family home in Nuseirat – one of Gaza’s eight official refugee camps, situated in the middle of the territory – was destroyed by the Israeli military on 19 June. Among the reported victims was Tamer Muhsen.
I wondered whether this was the son of Suzan, the eldest niece of my husband Nasser.
Uncertainty gnaws at Nasser’s face as we desperately seek information. Initially, there is no clear answer, but we scour the Telegram feeds of Palestinian journalists who bring the name of every dead body to our living room.
They confirm the news: Tamer Muhsen, 29 years old, a taxi driver, succumbed to his injuries. His father Adel, a taxi driver too (both work with the same taxi), and his two younger brothers, survived that attack but were severely injured. ….more
