To be a Palestinian from Gaza
17 October 2024
I went out with some friends for a cup of coffee here in Cairo. The coffee that I ordered was not yet at the table when I received a call from my wife asking me to come back home immediately, Buddy, our dog bit my daughter Salma’s hand.
My heart tumbled. I jumped off my chair, ran out to the road, took a taxi and went home directly to check on my daughter. It was a very little cut in her finger, she was playing with buddy and he bit her accidentally. She is ok.
The following day I went to the coffee with the same friends. They asked about Salma and I reassured them.
Hamada, my friend, said: ‘You see how you jumped up out of worry for your daughter yesterday and how afraid and anxious you were? That is very natural fatherhood.
He continued: ‘I sent a massage to a friend in Jabaliya to check on him and this is how he answered me. He showed me a WhatsApp message.
How are you, my friend? How are you coping in Jabaliya?
My little daughter Sama, the one and half year old and my two sons, Khaled and Ahmad and my wife were killed last week when my house was bombed. I was out looking for some food for them. This is how I am.