GAZA, (PIC)
Despite being over 100 years old, a Palestinian elder continues his resilience as a witness to the Nakba and various wars on the Palestinian people, including the genocidal war and forced displacement perpetrated by the Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip for more than 115 days, that has now been intensifying in Khan Yunis.
This elderly man, who has been weakened by illness and the long years of life’s struggles and the injustice that has haunted an entire people for decades without tasting rest, his scene may break hearts and bring tears to eyes. However, beneath the scene lies a portrayal of legendary resilience that continues to astonish the world, of a people deeply rooted in their land, rejecting displacement and conspiracy, perpetrated in collusion with the world community and under its watch.
He is not alone; thousands of elderly persons in Gaza have become icons of resilience and resistance, carrying an entire generation with patience and endurance that surpasses human comprehension, except in resilient, defiant Gaza, despite its age and severity of its wounds, declaring to the world: No matter how old we are, and even if our hair turns grey, we will not leave our land, nor will we give our enemies the satisfaction of victory. Even if we are buried under the rubble of our land by bombardment, we will remain the guardians of the land and defenders of the homeland.
The resilience of this centenarian has astonished social media users, who have shared the video, praising this great witness exposing the atrocities committed by Israel in Gaza.
Fawzi Al-Ajmi stated in a post: “An elderly Palestinian, over 100 years old, witnessed the Nakba of 1948, and is witnessing the genocide and forced displacement in 2024!”
And a blogger on the X platform said: “By God, the scene of the elderly is heartbreaking, it hurts with the pain. Pity the people of dignity who have suffered humiliation.”
May Allah alleviate their suffering and not prolong it
Another elder, in proud Gaza, one of its elders who have endured the wars and calamities in Palestine, who have never witnessed such atrocities and aggression, hopes that these wars, unlike the previous six wars they witnessed and endured, will end.
Their loyalty, resilience, and continuous determination are part of the resilience of this great people who have refused to submit to this brutal enemy. You see the elderly leaning on each other, supporting one another despite all the hardship and fatigue. You see an elderly person guiding his wife to safety, like scenes of love and loyalty in “Times of War” and “Times of the Death of Global Conscience”.
They, as they have been supportive for their people in Gaza and its resilience, do not use their old age as an excuse to sit and be served by others. Instead, you see them carrying water for their families despite the difficulty of obtaining it after the relentless aggression destroyed all sources of clean drinking water in Gaza.
Resilience until the last drop of blood
Another elderly person in Gaza, over a hundred years old, affirms the “resilience doctrine” until the last drop of blood in Gaza. He says, “If they demolish my house and the stones fall on my head, I will not leave,” in one of the most beautiful stories of love, passion, and rooted resilience in the deeply rooted land.
Although there is something that pains the elders of Gaza and burdens their “backs and hearts,” such as the loss of loved ones and the martyrdom of their sons and grandsons, their absolute faith in Allah increases their confidence in the justice of their cause and what they sacrifice for it, “from their spirits” and “from their broken hearts”.
Thus, the challenge and resilience continue endlessly. “Even if they destroy mosques, we will pray in the squares and in the open, and if they cut off fresh water, we will perform ablution with seawater, even if our limbs freeze,” one of the elders said.
Another elder tells the story of the “doctrine” of a people who no longer care about what the occupation does, for this land, with its soil, air, and sea, is their paradise. It will not turn into hell by the occupation’s rockets or its atrocities, and they will remain resilient until the end of the occupation.
Tears of parting, not defeat
Another elder sheds tears after the criminal occupation forces forced him and his family to evacuate Khan Yunis.
Despite the pain and sadness, he remains resilient, standing tall against aggression and the crimes of the occupation army.
Gaza’s elders remain resilient even if they are martyred under its rubble
The Euro-Mediterranean for Human Rights documented Israeli army forces executing dozens of elderly Palestinians through direct gunfire without any justification in Gaza, at a time when this vulnerable group of Palestinian civilians faces compounded suffering after Israel turned them into legitimate targets since the start of its wide-ranging aggression on October 7 last year.
The Euro-Med revealed that it documented, in a non-final toll, the martyrdom of 1,049 elderly males and females, after 76 days of aggression, representing approximately 1% of the total number of elderly in Gaza, estimated at 107,000 elders, and approximately 3.9% of the total Palestinian casualties in the Israeli aggression.
It noted that the majority of them were crushed to death under the rubble of their homes or shelters they sought refuge in after being bombed by Israeli warplanes directly over their heads, or during their forced movement to meet their basic needs in streets and markets. What’s dangerous is that dozens of them were subjected to targeted killings and field executions.
The Euro-Med highlighted receiving shocking testimonies about physical eliminations and field executions suffered by dozens of elderly people over 60 years old, including direct gunfire after being asked to leave their homes, and in some cases, executions occurred moments after their release after hours or days of arbitrary detention.
This coincides with the ongoing aggression by the Israeli army on Gaza, which until Monday caused the martyrdom of 26,637 and the injury of 65,387, most of them children and women, according to Palestinian authorities, causing “massive destruction and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe”, according to the United Nations.
