Last Monday, I was out in the street trying to catch an internet signal in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip – something that has become almost impossible in Gaza. Our home had just been bombed for the third time during the war, and we had been forced to flee for the tenth time. I had just lost everything once again. My heart was heavy with grief, and everything around me reminded me of the loss that had befallen us.
When I finally managed to connect, videos, photos, and audio messages from Italy flooded my phone. I saw crowds of people marching in the streets, waving Palestinian flags and chanting together for our freedom. I saw squares filled with banners reading “Stop the War” and “Free Palestine”, and faces showing a mix of anger and hope. They were trying to send us a message: We hear you, we stand with you.
I felt immense joy. It was the first time I saw pro-Palestinian protests on such a scale and impact. Independent Italian unions had called a 24-hour strike, and Italians had responded en masse. Across more than 70 Italian municipalities, people took to the streets to show us that they cared about Gaza, that they supported our cause, that they wanted an immediate end to the genocide.
This was not a Muslim or Arab-majority nation. It was a Western country, whose government refuses to recognise a Palestinian state and continues to support Israel. And yet, the Italian people walked out for us, to express their solidarity with us.
This mobilisation shows that solidarity with Palestinians is not limited to those close to us or from the same cultural background, but extends to people from across the world, even in places where political elites continue to support Israel.
In Gaza, these scenes of Italian solidarity spread from phone to phone, bringing a ray of hope amid the rubble, hunger, and bombs. People were forwarding these videos on chat apps, watching with amazement the Italian crowds. These images and footage brought rare smiles to many Palestinian faces. The feeling that we are not completely abandoned, that the outside world is mobilising to stop the war, crept in.
Over the past week, I have also been following closely the Sumud Flotilla that is heading towards Gaza. The Italian government put immense pressure on the delegation of 50 Italian citizens to give up. The majority of them refused and are now on board various ships heading towards us.
I was also able to communicate with some Italian journalists on board the ship, who shared with me words full of encouragement and hope, assuring us that we are not alone and that there are those continuing to fight for us, despite the distances and challenges.
Excerpted: ‘The Italian people made us smile in Gaza’. Courtesy: Aljazzera.com
