Abed sees himself as part of a lost generation, a generation that has no future. That is why he decided to stay in Israel and not return to his home in Gaza.
Abed arrived in Tel Aviv on the latest ceasefire, in which Israel allowed thousands of Gazan workers to enter its territory. He remains here even though he is considered illegal and could be arrested for it.
When I first met him I didn’t even know he was from Gaza.We passed each other every day. I saw him as another one of the construction workers working close to my house.
In truth, this interview was the first time I spoke to him. A day ago, I spotted him on the street. The first thought that crossed my mind was- terrorist!
It was because since the beginning of the war I have not seen a single Palestinian worker near my home. After more thinking, I decided to turn to the man and try to talk to him. Abed was happy to talk to me, His words surprised me:
“I am very worried, this war is not good for anyone. I believe in peace, and yes, I miss my family. I didn’t talk to them for two weeks. I have no idea with whom they are alive or dead or…
But I can’t go back there. I prefer the Israeli prison over that hell hole. If you are a commander or a senior member of Hamas — you are considered a king in Gaza. But if you are not associated with Hamas, your life is a joke. Those who have money, those who live well — are the ones who are related to Hamas.
If my father had been a commander I would not have left. I could build a future, someone would take care of me, build me a house and provide me with a monthly salary.
I’m sure you know this- Millions of dollars entered Gaza. Money from Qatar, the United States and United Nations and all kinds of contributions. So why don’t the people see anything from it? It all goes to them, their families, their children and their wives.
Look, for example, in 2017 there were demonstrations against Hamas. Thousands went out to protest on the streets under the title: “we want to live” People came out, in a non-violent manner, and called out to Hamas: ‘We want electricity, we want to live — and we demand our rights.’” Instead of solving the people’s problems, Hamas shot at the protesters.
If I loved death, I would stay there. Those who remain in Gaza end up dead or wounded. And as you understand, it is not necessarily because of what your army is doing there.”
