In brief
Ayish Younis, now 89, recounts the painful journey of displacement from his village of Barbara in 1948 to his recent evacuation following renewed conflict in Gaza. Describing his struggles as he returns to living in a tent, he shares concerns over the future of Gaza amidst destruction following the latest war. With a family of 18 children, Younis yearns for peace and the hope of returning to his lost homeland.
'I'm 89 and I saw my homeland rebuilt before - but now I don't believe Gaza has a future'
“I rode away on a camel with my grandmother, along a sandy road, and I started to cry.” Ayish Younis recalls a defining moment from 1948, the year he fled his village during the first Arab-Israeli war. Now at 89, he faces yet another chapter of loss in a land still marred by conflict.
Back in 1948, Ayish and his family fled their home in Barbara towards safety during a time of fear and violence. Escaping war, they moved to what is now known as the Gaza Strip, where many others sought refuge.
Years of hardship culminated in recent events where Ayish finds himself once again living in a tent after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders, leading to the destruction of his family home during renewed warfare.
As he recounts his family’s journey through tent camps to constructing homes, Ayish emphasizes his deeply felt loss, now compounded with fears for the future of Gaza itself. The conversation shifts to the current state of Indonesian Palestinians and the challenges they face in rebuilding after devasting war.
Despite a recent ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, Ayish holds little hope for long-term peace or prosperity, echoing the sentiments of his family who worry about their fates in a region where dreams of a better future are consistently interrupted by strife.
