The phrase ‘All eyes on Rafah’ is trending on social media platforms. People from across the world are coming out in support of Palestinians residing in Rafah, in war-torn Gaza. Israel continues to launch airstrikes in the region despite the order by the International Court of Justice demanding they end military operations in the area.
Metrolife curates a list of books to get a better understanding of the state of Palestine and the impact of the ongoing conflict on its people.
Minor detail (2017)
Author: Adania Shibli
This highly-acclaimed novel is set in 1949, a year after the Nakba, a catastrophe that led to the displacement of seven lakh Palestinians. The book is sectioned into two parts. While the first half follows the rape and murder of a young Bedouin girl, the second half presents the narrative through an unnamed Palestinian woman in Ramallah who becomes obsessed with the murder of the girl. The book puts into perspective why the small historic tragedy matters even today, when the situation is no less horrific — with continuous bombing, besiegement and forced displacement.
Gate of the sun (1998)
Author: Elias Khoury
The Lebanese author draws on her interviews with Palestinian refugees to write this 512-page novel. The focus here is on Palestinian refugees in Lebanon during the Sabra and Shatila massacre in 1982. It dives into the lives of the refugees during the Nakba and details the aftermath of the unfortunate event. Through the book, Khoury gives voice to the trapped refugees, and their changing identities.
I Saw Ramallah (1997)
Author: Mourid Barghouthi
This autobiography follows the return of the poet to his hometown in the West Bank, after being barred from entering during the Six Day War in 1967. Returning after 30 years of exile, Barghouti fails to recognise the city of his youth. He returns to a state that is ambiguous and fickle. As he sifts through his memories, recalling the Palestine he once knew, he discovers what it means to not have a homeland or an identity anymore.
Light in Gaza (2022)
Editors: Jehad Abusalim, Jennifer Bing, Mike Merryman-Lotze
This book brings together 15 Palestinian writers and artists in order to centre voices in the ongoing struggle. It speaks on the Palestinian identity, history of its people, and the struggle for liberation. In it, the contributors speak about how the occupation impacted them and the family members they lost, while also imagining a future for Gaza, a dream beyond the cruelties of their everyday life. The book is hard-hitting without being overwhelming, putting into context what Gazans were facing even before October 7, 2023.