Samir, my sister Maryam’s husband, is a professor at Al-Aqsa University.
He and his family, including three-year-old twin sons Omar and Muhammad, had been living in the Tel al-Sultan area of Rafah.
When Israeli tanks rolled into Rafah in May, Samir feared losing his children and thought about fleeing with his family. But tents for displaced people were full everywhere, and all his relatives and friends were displaced.
After a lot of thought, he decided to go with his brothers and their families to the Miraj area on the northern boundary of Rafah and Khan Yunis. There was a gas station there, with some fuel, that would be vital if they decided to move by car.
Samir and his family took their belongings and went to the station. A day after doing so, Omar, Samir’s father, found a four-story house whose owners had fled due to the lack of water and other services.
Omar rented the house, which was about 50 meters from the gas station, and when he told his children and grandchildren, everyone was very happy. ….more
