"Gaza is our Home"

Researcher, writer and translator Yousef Aljamal highlights the human impact of the political situation through his mother’s and sister's stories

- Yousef M Aljama

MY mother’s agony started before October 7 and it embodies the enduring connection of a people to their land and each other. Her story defies the notion that Palestinians can be neatly categorised or divided. It is a testament to the power of heritage and the deep roots of family bonds that not even the most stri ngent of blockades can sever. For 12 yea rs, Israel denied her a permit to visit her family in the West Bank, even when her parents passed away in 2003 and 2008.