The past few days since I arrived in the UAE have been a strange mixture of joy and relief, along with sadness and horror for what continues to unfold in Gaza. Detailed accounts from my mother have painted an even more grim and thorough picture of what my folks have endured for the past few months under relentless bombardment and experiencing continuous displacement. I've been trying to help get some family members out, including my brother's children, his wife, and other relatives. But that’s proving administratively, financially, tactically difficult, and exceptionally challenging. I feel relieved for my mom but incredibly sad for all the mothers who weren’t so lucky; I feel motivated to do what I can to help my surviving family members, yet also paralyzed and overwhelmed by the sheer need and unrelenting catastrophe. I’ve also been depressed by observing other challenges that are worsening the overall situation, like the entrenched narratives around the war and conflict or the bureaucratic failure of the Palestinian Authority’s institutions that are supposed to support their own people. Additionally, I’ve talked to other Palestinians with family in Gaza, desperate to help their folks escape the impending disaster in Rafah but facing the same challenges that I and hundreds of thousands are experiencing when attempting to leave the carnage. It’s difficult to balance out all of these complex and competing emotions - There’s much to be done, and time’s running out to spare civilian lives and save whatever can be saved of what remains of our people who are subjected to a horrendous & reckless Israeli war machine and despicable Jihadist scum and a detrimentally deadly resistance narrative by a messianic Islamist cult.
@afalkhatib Last few days I’ve had such painful cramps in my stomach. It’s getting harder every day. Sending big hugs, I can’t wait for it to be over 😔💔
@afalkhatib What’s the main reason that the likely conclusion will be Hamas will survive the war?
@afalkhatib Hamas needs to surrender and release the hostages.
@afalkhatib Thank you again for your perspective. Perhaps IDF tactics need to go further to overcome the Hamas strategy of causing civilian casualties. Where Hamas places civilians in harm’s way, it will be risky but perhaps necessary for the IDF to affirmatively remove them from harm.
@afalkhatib Beautifully written. I hope your family is OK.
@afalkhatib Very painful to read, to say the least. Is there anything "we" your loyal followers, can try to do?
@afalkhatib I don’t understand why Egypt won’t take them in until this is over and then let them back in once Hamas is gone. It’s sad! My heart breaks for the children the elderly. I hope for all the Palestinian to find peace and Israel moves them to a safer place abd go after Hamas
@afalkhatib I am glad your family is safe now. This should have been the solution from day one: to allow gazans into Egypt
@afalkhatib On my first visit to Mideast post Oct 7, I was shocked that vast majority of people are living in completely parallel world. Arabic media led by Al Jazeera Arabic has people believing that Israel killed its own citizens on #October7