300 days of Gaza war: UAE's Palestinian expats hope to see families in person, 'not in graves'

The past 10 months have been a roller-coaster of emotions, fear and uncertainties for Palestinian expats residing in the country

By Waad Barakat, Zain Basalat

Published: Fri 2 Aug 2024, 6:00 AM

Last updated: Sun 4 Aug 2024, 9:51 AM

It's been 300 long and agonising days since war erupted in Gaza on October 7 last year. The past 10 months have been a roller-coaster of emotions, fear and uncertainties for Palestinian expats residing in the UAE as they watched families suffer through the unrelenting conflict back home.

For Reem, a Dubai resident, the past 10 months have been an uphill battle. Her sister lost her house and all of her family's belongings when airstrikes destroyed their home in Gaza.

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"The house was built from my sister and her husband's life savings," Reem told Khaleej Times. "Her gold that our late mother gifted us before she passed — along with all their memories, clothes, everything you can think of – are all gone.

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Now, Reem's sister and her seven children – two of whom are married with kids of their own – are all forced to live in tents.

"I just want my sister and her children to stay alive," Reem implored, adding: "After this war is over, I want to see them in person, not visit their graves."

News of the war in Gaza is too much for Reem to bear. "I couldn't watch the news. I’m scared to even open messages on my phone. I fear I'd see the name of my sister and her kids among the martyred list."

But Reem also knew that she had to be strong for her sister and her family.

Death preceded a wedding

Salma, Reem's cousin, has also been deeply impacted by the situation in Gaza. Salma's three cousins have had to move in together after their homes were destroyed.

"One of my cousins lost her 27-year-old son," Salma shared, adding: "It was the worst death in our family. His wedding was set for October 30, but he died on October 25."

Despite the tragedy, the cousins refused to be separated. "If we get bombed, we would all die together; we didn't want anyone to stay alone,” they said.

No school, home and livelihood

The day-to-day realities for Reem and Salma's families in Gaza have become unimaginably grim. “Their children no longer attend school, and their homes and livelihoods have been destroyed. They just want to stay alive and keep their kids alive – that's the hardest thing they're going through," Salma said.

Both Reem and Salma are providing much needed financial and emotional support as they can to their loved ones in Gaza. "I send them money when I can. They don't always receive it, but I'm doing the most I can," Salma said.

Reem added that she speaks to her sister and nieces and nephews every day, "to remind them that I love them and to try to comfort them as best I can".

'We all lost someone'

Sami Salman, another Dubai resident, shared the anguish felt by many Palestinians living abroad: He told Khaleej Times: "I try to communicate with them via the internet. Sometimes I can reach them, sometimes I can't because the internet is powered by solar panels which are not always available."

Sami's grief is palpable as he recounts the heavy toll the conflict has taken on his family. "I lost someone," he said, adding: "Actually, there is no Palestinian who hasn't lost someone."

Sami (left) with his family

Sami was able to evacuate some of his family members from Gaza to Deir al-Balah, one of the least displaced areas, but the majority of his family remains in the besieged territory, relying on dwindling aid supplies.

He noted: "The aid that comes is what my family lives on. Sometimes they can't reach it because it is either stolen or they try to sell it, but they try to get by."

No access to essential needs

The lack of access to essential supplies and the inability to maintain basic hygiene have only compounded the suffering of Sami's loved ones, who are left to rely on the generosity of their neighbours.

"In these long 300 days, there were 60 days my family couldn't reach the appropriate food supplies. Either they live with the help of neighbours or on canned goods. They suffer from lack of detergents and papers, to the point that they cannot clean the place they live in or themselves, meaning their most basic rights do not exist," Sami lamented.

'Life stopped on October 7'

For Ahmed Ziyad, the past 300 days have been an unimaginable ordeal, which he describes as "an absolute nightmare, even worse than the war". Before this, he knew his family was in a war zone country but at least he wouldn’t wake up expecting to hear that another one of them had been added to the martyred list.

"This is something I can never get used to or come to terms with,” he told Khaleej Times. "The trauma of the last several months has taken a devastating toll," added Ahmed, who noted his "life stopped on October 7”.

“I’m no longer able to pursue a normal life, everything seems grey with the reality we are living in and it’s not getting easier — it’s becoming even harder for all of us,” he added

Ahmed's family had a life despite the previous siege on Gaza – his uncles had a successful business and his cousins were in school – but now, they've lost everything.

Consumed by grief and anxiety, Ahmed said: “I’m glued to the news, constantly reminded of the pain and suffering – 300 days, it's unimaginable, it breaks my heart every day.”

reporters@khaleejtimes.com

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