Just before the war between Israel and Hamas began, Wahib Salama put in the last windows of the family’s house. He had been working on the house for a long time and was happy that it was finally finished.
Today, nothing remains – it is one of tens of thousands of destroyed homes in Gaza.
– When we understood that the war would come to our neighborhood in Khan Younis, then we decided to flee to the camp, says Wahib Salama.
Describes everyday life – in the middle of the war
International journalists are not allowed into Gaza and therefore TV4 has given the Palestinian freelancer Samy Zyara the task of describing everyday life in the middle of the war. He meets Wahib Salama and his family in their bombed house in the Khan Younis area.
Thanks to the family evacuating, they survived the aerial bombings. But after six months in the camp, they began to fear that the diseases that spread in the camps would kill them instead.
– At first the water was good there, but then more people came and the water got worse. Then strange diseases began to appear that we had never seen before.
Skin diseases are spreading
Bad water, congestion and no garbage disposal. Everything has led to diseases and even skin problems starting to spread.
– I swear I’ve never seen anything like it, strange insects came up from the ground, says Wahib Salama.
Finally, the family decided to go back to what was left of the house.
They have piled building blocks on top of each other, strung up a carpet as a roof and found mattresses to sleep on.
– Some things are ours, some things we just found. The teacups now get new life again because we use them, says Wahib Salama.
He has to walk for two hours to fetch water but the family is happy to be away from the overcrowded camps. They feel a peace of mind sleeping on their own land.
“I can’t leave”
Wahib Salama tells a story to explain how important one’s own homeland is.
– There was a king who got an eagle. He asked the eagle to fly out into the world and choose the most beautiful place to live. But the eagle came back three times and the king asked why he came back? Then the eagle replied: “I was born here. It is my homeland and I cannot leave it.” And I was born here. This is our homeland, says Wahib.