'I rode away on a camel with my grandmother, along a sandy road, and I started to cry.'

Ayish Younis is describing the worst moment of his life — the day he was forced to leave his home in Barbara, a village now lost to history, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. At just 12 years old, he witnessed the heart-wrenching displacement of his family, a memory that continues to haunt him 77 years later.

Having escaped to what is now the Gaza Strip, Younis lived for years in makeshift shelters and tent camps before finally establishing a home. However, at 89, he finds himself in a tent again after the destruction of his southern Gaza home during the recent conflict with Israel.

Younis reflects on his life, family, and the cycle of destruction that has plagued his homeland. He fearlessly expresses his doubts about Gaza's future, emphasizing that despite efforts for peace, the lasting damage to the region's infrastructure and community may prove insurmountable.

'I don't believe Gaza has any future,' he states somberly, as he watches generations grapple with uncertainty amidst chaos.