Gazans’ keys of hope: an enduring symbol of resistance
In a tragic continuation of their Nakba ancestors, displaced Gazans are clinging to keys to their homes as a symbol of their “unwavering determination to return one day”, according to The New Arab and agencies on May 1.
Um Ahmad and her family were displaced from their home in South Gaza, to a refugee camp located in Rafah, with their four children. Despite the horrific conditions and haste in which they were forced to leave, the family insisted they take their keys.
“We must hold onto our hope and our dignity, these keys are not just for our house; they symbolise our unwavering determination to return one day, to rebuild and reclaim what is rightfully ours,” Um Ahmad said.
“The key is our symbol of resistance against occupation and oppression with the hope that one day we will reclaim the rightful return to our places,” added husband Bou Ahmad.
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The “key of return” is a powerful symbol for Palestinians, representing both resistance and a tangible connection to their homeland pre-1948.
Palestinians keys attest physically to their presence and history to the land – dating long before 1948 – contesting the slogan and popular Israeli narrative that Palestine was “A land without a people for a people without a land” prior to Israel’s foundation.
The mass-displacement of Palestinians in the Nakba of 1948 – what Israel calls its War of Independence – resulted in over 750,000 people displaced.
“These keys, passed down through generations, represent not just physical properties, but also the cherished memories, identities, and aspirations of displaced families,” said Palestinian anthropologist Dr Hisham Ahmed to The New Arab.
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Today over 1.9 million civilians in Gaza are displaced – more than double the number of those displaced in 1948 – amidst Israel’s war on Gaza.
The staggering number of displaced Gazans, representing 85% of the total population, remain in uncertainty over if they will ever be permitted to return to their homes pre-October 7.
The leaking of classified Israeli government files revealed plans to resettle Gaza’s population in Sinai, confirming such fears.
Meanwhile, in the face of total dehumanisation by not only Israel but the West more generally, Gazans’ clinging onto their keys signifies a reclamation of agency, their history and their humanity.
“For those individuals, their home keys are not just simple metal objects, they show the strength of a population who dares to believe that amidst the chaos of war, the promise of home would always endure and for Palestinians who were displaced in the past, the keys are a reminder of where they came from,” said Sarah Al Omari, an expert on Palestinian refugees.
The New Arab / Agencies
