**The Long Walk Home**
After 15 months of uncertainty, the announcement of a ceasefire came like a distant echo, a brief glimpse of hope amidst the chaos. For me, it meant the chance to return home—to Gaza City, her heart still beating for the streets, the people, the life that had been torn apart.
With only a small bag in hand, I’m, along with family and hundreds of others, began the long, grueling walk from the southern parts of Gaza, where I and my family had sought refuge. The roads, once familiar, were now filled with debris and destruction. There were no vehicles, no taxis to ease the journey. Only the sound of footsteps, the soft sobs of children, and the occasional murmur of prayers.
The scorching heat made the walk unbearable. We trudged through the ruins, each step more painful than the last. Ten kilometers. It felt like an eternity. I feet were raw, my body exhausted, but the thought of home, of the family and friends I had left behind, kept my moving forward.
As we passed what used to be neighborhoods, I couldn’t help but gasp. Buildings that had once stood tall were now nothing more than crumbled shells of concrete, twisted metal, and broken glass.
Where were the houses, the shops, the familiar faces?
We passed by what used to be a lively market, now reduced to ashes and shattered stone. A small boy in front of mine was crying, his face covered in dirt. His mother, too tired to comfort him, merely whispered soothing words, though they held little weight in a world so broken.
My thoughts drifted back to my friends. Jameel, who had been my closest companion since childhood, was nowhere to be found. The war had taken so much from us. Families, homes, lives—everything seemed to be swallowed by the endless violence
My friends we still need your support to help us face these challenges and rebuild what’s been lost.🙏🙏🙏
OR
(##167 on the verified fundraiser list by el-shab-hussein and nabulsi) (but we had to make a new gfm campaign cuz our old organizer stopped contacting us).
