A frail elderly woman's joyous return to Gaza, marked by a harrowing journey across the Rafah crossing.
Huda Abu Abed, 75, was overwhelmed with happiness upon re-entering her home in Gaza after being one of the first Palestinians to make it back from Egypt. Her smile could not conceal the trauma etched on her face as she recalled her ordeal - "I was humiliated," she said softly.
The elderly woman's story begins at the Rafah crossing, where she and thousands of other Palestinians waited for hours in freezing temperatures, braving the harsh conditions with little access to food or water. The grueling wait was a mere precursor to what lay ahead as she made her way through the treacherous border checkpoint, the long queues, and the bureaucratic maze.
"I felt like I had been put on trial," Abu Abed recounted, her voice trembling with emotion. "They asked me so many questions - where were you born? Where did your parents die? They didn't trust us even after we showed them our ID cards."
Abu Abed's journey to return home was an arduous one, filled with uncertainty and heartbreak. The grueling wait, coupled with the relentless barrage of questions from Egyptian authorities, took its toll on her physical health.
As she recounted her harrowing experience, Abu Abed spoke of the desperate measures she had taken in order to survive - buying precious little food and water from vendors who were more than willing to take advantage of their desperation. "I was willing to do anything," she said, "even if it meant sacrificing my dignity."
In the end, Abu Abed's perseverance paid off as she made her way back home, a beacon of hope in a long-standing humanitarian crisis that has gripped the Palestinian people for decades. Her story serves as a poignant reminder of the dehumanizing effects of prolonged displacement and the unrelenting determination of those who refuse to be defeated.
Huda Abu Abed, 75, was overwhelmed with happiness upon re-entering her home in Gaza after being one of the first Palestinians to make it back from Egypt. Her smile could not conceal the trauma etched on her face as she recalled her ordeal - "I was humiliated," she said softly.
The elderly woman's story begins at the Rafah crossing, where she and thousands of other Palestinians waited for hours in freezing temperatures, braving the harsh conditions with little access to food or water. The grueling wait was a mere precursor to what lay ahead as she made her way through the treacherous border checkpoint, the long queues, and the bureaucratic maze.
"I felt like I had been put on trial," Abu Abed recounted, her voice trembling with emotion. "They asked me so many questions - where were you born? Where did your parents die? They didn't trust us even after we showed them our ID cards."
Abu Abed's journey to return home was an arduous one, filled with uncertainty and heartbreak. The grueling wait, coupled with the relentless barrage of questions from Egyptian authorities, took its toll on her physical health.
As she recounted her harrowing experience, Abu Abed spoke of the desperate measures she had taken in order to survive - buying precious little food and water from vendors who were more than willing to take advantage of their desperation. "I was willing to do anything," she said, "even if it meant sacrificing my dignity."
In the end, Abu Abed's perseverance paid off as she made her way back home, a beacon of hope in a long-standing humanitarian crisis that has gripped the Palestinian people for decades. Her story serves as a poignant reminder of the dehumanizing effects of prolonged displacement and the unrelenting determination of those who refuse to be defeated.
can u even imagine having to wait at the border with like no food or water & then being asked so many questions like where did ur parents die lol what is wrong with ppl? 
this woman's story is just heartbreaking she had to sell food & water 2 survive it's crazy how dehumanizing displacement can be but at the same time i'm also in awe of her strength & resilience 
huda's journey is a total nightmare 
i'm so proud of her tho 
she deserves all the love & support we can give her 
and honestly, it's heartbreaking to think about how ppl are treated like they're not even human during this ordeal 
but huda's story is a reminder that we have so much power as humans 2 make a difference 
let's keep spreading hope & positivity wherever we go 
. i'm so glad she made it home safely though, it's a miracle 
. And then to make matters worse, they're asking you a million questions and making you feel like dirt on the street 
. I mean, come on! You've got ID, what more proof do they need? It's just so...so...exhausting 
.
. But I guess that's just not how the world works anymore. It's like, they're trying to keep you down, but you can't let 'em 
. You've gotta keep pushing forward, even when it feels like the whole world is against you 
. And her story just makes me want to shout from the rooftops 
- we've gotta stand up for ourselves and our people, no matter what! 
interesting that she had to buy food & water from vendors for a few coins, it's sad how desperate ppl get in crisis situations 
... like, can you even imagine waiting for hours in freezing temps with no food or water? And then have to go through all that bureaucracy and questioning... it's just so dehumanizing 
.