Two years into a war that has upended all aspects of daily life, people in Gaza are not speaking of reconstructing their wrecked homes, but of rebuilding themselves, if that is even possible.
Amid the ruins of buildings, in the displacement camps and among broken families, a haunting question lingers in the air: What could possibly make up for what they have lost?
The answers, whispered in tents, windowless apartments and even in exile, reveal a truth that transcends the politics and reconstruction plans being discussed in ceasefire talks in Egypt.
For many survivors, no compensation, no rebuilding, and no peace agreement can restore what the two-year Gaza war has taken: the people they loved, the life they once knew, and the relative sense of safety.
In a temporary shelter in Deir Al Balah, Muneer Abu Jiab, 54, sits with his six children, trying to speak without bursting into tears.
“Honestly, there’s nothing that can ever make up for what we’ve lost in this war,” he tells The National.
“If it had only been about money or homes, we could say those things can be rebuilt. But what we lost are lives, our loved ones, our friends, and that can never be replaced.”
Mr Abu Jiab once lived in Al Shati refugee camp, a place that was full of joyful noise, children, and the bustle of life. Now, even if Gaza is rebuilt “more beautifully than before” Israel's war, he says, something will always be missing.
He lost his uncle, the uncle's wife, and their children, along with many neighbours and friends. Every evening, as all goes quiet in the camp, their faces come to mind.
“There will always be a void,” Mr Abu Jiab says quietly. “Our only hope now is that the killing stops, that the war finally ends. Maybe with time, we’ll learn to live again, to raise our children in better conditions, to give them a life they deserve.”
Ibrahim Al Muqayed, 26, who lived at Jabalia refugee camp, is still displaced in Al Mawasi. He speaks with a mix of weariness and fragile hope.
“Maybe if life returns, if Gaza is rebuilt, the crossings reopen, and we live better days, we might be able to forget a little of the catastrophe we’ve lived through,” he tells The National. “But nothing can ever make up for what we’ve lost.”
His family survived, but like many others, they carry invisible scars. “After everything we witnessed, the horror, the blood, the fear, we tell ourselves that those we lost are in a better place, that maybe death was a mercy for them,” Mr Al Muqayed says.
He dreams of returning to northern Gaza, rebuilding his home and starting life anew, perhaps even marrying, if peace comes. But he also understands that repairing walls is not the same as rebuilding hearts.
“This war is not only about death,” he says. “It’s the destruction of everything, love, joy, life itself. It shattered the human soul in a way words can’t describe. Maybe if we could rebuild people’s souls, not just the buildings, things could be better.”
‘All I want is a normal life for my children’: Gaza reporter’s story of survival
For Maram Abu Hazaa, 32, from Jabalia, the answer is clear: nothing can make up for the losses.
She and her husband now live in a tent in Al Nuseirat, where she tries to comfort her three children who have been out of school for two years.
“Many times, I ask myself: what could ever make up for everything that’s happened?” she tells The National. “Sometimes I think maybe if we could leave this country and live a stable life abroad, we might recover a little. But the psychological pain after all the death and destruction can never be healed.”
Her children, once bright and eager, now struggle to focus.
“They’ve lost two academic years,” Ms Abu Hazaa says. “When I think about that, I feel like I’m losing my mind. This isn’t just a setback, it’s a loss of their future.”
She describes the daily hardship of tent life, the heat, the dirt, the lack of privacy. “It’s been two years of humiliation and exhaustion,” she says with a sigh. “Maybe if the war ends, and life slowly returns, we can rebuild a small part of what we’ve lost. Maybe then my children will have a chance.”
For Noor Abu Jaser, 28, the idea of rebuilding means nothing. From her temporary refuge in Egypt, she speaks in the past tense of family, home, and belonging.
“In this war, I lost my father, my mother, and three of my sisters along with all their children,” she tells The National. “In the blink of an eye, they were gone. That’s a loss that can never, ever be compensated for.”
Noor was at work when the family home in northern Gaza was bombed at the start of the war. Everyone inside was killed.
“Only two of my brothers and I survived,” she says softly. “After months, I left Gaza. Everything was available where I went – food, safety – but nothing could make up for that loss.”
Even now, surrounded by stability, her memories remain vivid.
“People say that time makes you forget,” she says. “But this kind of loss, you never forget. In every step I take, I remember how I said goodbye to my loved ones, and that I’ll never see them again.”
Her voice trembles as she adds, “We’ll never be able to heal the fractures this war left inside us. We’ll never make up for what these two terrible years have done to us, not emotionally, not socially, not spiritually.”
For the people of Gaza, rebuilding means more than clearing rubble and reopening borders. It means learning to live with permanent loss, to raise children among memories of horror, to rebuild trust in life itself.
Two years on, many survivors say they are still caught between mourning and trying to survive, with the future uncertain.
“Maybe one day, we’ll find a way to live again,"Mr Abu Jiab says. “But the people we lost, they’re gone forever. No reconstruction can bring them back.”
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
THE%20SPECS
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Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
Company%20profile
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Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
BLACK%20ADAM
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
