I finally understood the true meaning of the day to guide Israel-Palestinian conflict

When I was a school student, every morning, we would gather in the school yard and sing songs dedicated to our land, Palestine. Many of our classes would teach us about our culture and tradition deeply rooted in the Palestinian country.

Every 30. March, we would mark the day on the land. The girls would wear embroidered dresses and boys would wear white shirts and keffiyeh. We would sing under the elevated Palestinian flag and marking the country’s Palestinian fight.

I completely realized the true meaning of what I learned about this struggle only when I faced displacement from my home, when I faced very reality to lose land.

I was born and raised in the neighborhood of Shujaye on the east side of the city of Gaza. It is a century neighborhood, where farmers and retailers have settled. Over time, it became one of the most popular settlements of Gaza, known for its strong connections and resistance history. It is no coincidence that one of his most prominent people was dr. Refaat Alareer, poet, scholar and my professor in English, who inspired me to write and resist.

My family lived in Shujaye for centuries. They built a home after the house in the same area until they created a long street known as Mushtaha street. This is not just a name; It is the testade only how deep our roots are running in this country.

Not only do we have our homes in Shujaye, but also our agricultural land. I grew up playing on my grandfather’s olive grove, who inherited from his ancestors. The olive taught us how to love our country and how to be constant like them.

I never thought, for a moment, I leave the house, my neighborhood. As a child, I never dreamed of living elsewhere, I wanted to stay where my ancestors lived happily, to inherit the mainland, olive tendency.

We first had to escape our Shujaye, when Israel was attacked in 2014. years. I was very young at that time, but I remember every moment of our evacuation. I remember a rocket and shrapnel that fly around and the sound of screaming and crying. It was a traumatic experience, but throughout that I was sure we would come back soon.

Then that happened again for almost 10 years later. Through the genocide, my family and I had to escape from our home more than 10 times. We had to keep our neighborhoods longest to stay away from our neighborhood. But we never left too far. Despite extremely difficult conditions, we did not run south; We stayed in the north.

Shujaye has endured two invasions during this war, the first in December 2023 and the second in June 2024. years. The other came suddenly, without warning, the summer morning while residents were still in their homes.

When the Israeli tanks reached Shujaye, they targeted markets and old restaurants, electric pillars and water pumps, leveling up many areas until they were unrecognized. Sometimes traffic streets became gray with destruction.

My family house is bombed and partially destroyed. The land of my grandfather was not spared. The trees that stood generations, which gave fruit of countless seasons, carved and burned.

The loss of his olive groves showed too much for my grandfather. Within three months of hearing devastating news, he died.

Today we are facing the appearance of being displaced once more. People from the eastern part Shujaye began to run again under threats from the Israeli army. We don’t know what happens next. People are afraid, but they still hope there will be another truce.

This year, marking the day of the land carries a different meaning: despite the continuous genocidal war, we are still here, and we are still standing, and we are still holding on to the country we inherited from our ancestors. We won’t give up.

On this day I remember Dr Alareers songs:
O, land
Hug me
And holds me tight
Or I get devoured to me
Don’t suffer more.
I love you
So take me.
Make me rich.
Make me dirt.
The days of tranquility have passed.
Guns are the words of humanity.
I have no food, but a thorn,
No sports, but sigh.
For a soldier he must feel high.
Oh, earth,
If I am injured in my life
Let the dirt in you give birth.
Oh, Earth.

Attitudes expressed in this article are wet authority and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeere editor.