The Gaza Strip is a tiny coastal territory.
Most people here were forcibly displaced in 1948 from their homes, villages and lands in what became Israel, or, as I prefer to call it, this distant Palestine.
Of course, this distant Palestine is just there, barely a stone’s throw away.
This reality was brought home to me in October 2022, when I went to the farthest north of Gaza, Beit Hanoun, as part of a university project.
It was my first ever trip to Beit Hanoun and I was joined by a team of fellow students from al-Azhar University, known as Kiwi Media, working on a project to showcase the beauty of the Gaza Strip, as well as highlight its important landmarks.
My role was to translate the videos produced into English.
Beit Hanoun, with its expansive farmland and widely spaced houses, is very different from Gaza City where I lived. The abundance of trees and natural beauty creates a calm and picturesque environment.
My fellow students and I explored nearly every part of Beit Hanoun that day. This included a visit to an agricultural school that stood very near the 1948 boundary.