‘Bits and pieces of their houses left’ as Gazans return home, says Palestinian living in Winnipeg

In the wake of the now two-week-old ceasefire in Gaza, a Palestinian refugee living in Winnipeg says her family and a close friend in the region have been sending her pictures and videos of their half-demolished homes and rubble.

Hala Kofa says her cousins are happy to be going back to Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, but are returning to a destroyed city.

“Some of them had bits and pieces of their houses left,” said Kofa.

“My cousin sent me a picture the other day of him literally collecting skulls and skeletons, because when they returned back to Rafah … the rubbles that are there are filled up with skeletons and skulls of unknown people. And this is something that no one should experience,” she said.

Despite all that, they remain hopeful, said Kofa.

“Even if they have one room remaining in their homes, they live in that room. Even if there’s nothing left of their houses, they put a tent and are determined to build it again.”

WATCH | Hopeful and optimistic, Manitoban’s relatives return to remains of Gaza home:

Kofa, 47, was born in Kuwait and grew up in Qatar. Her entire family lived in Gaza before being displaced in 1967. She immigrated to Winnipeg with her two sons in August 2023 as a permanent resident.

She’s been in touch with her cousins and friend in Gaza since the latest conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, following a surprise raid by Hamas on Israel.

Around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 hostages were abducted in the Hamas attack, the bloodiest single attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

Health officials in Gaza say Israel’s military response in the more than 15 months following has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians and laid waste to the enclave of 2.3 million people, who face severe shortages of medicine, fuel and food.

“They said they have no food, no water, no medicine, no hospitals, no shelter,” said Kofa.

“When it was raining and the mattresses and all clothes were literally flowing and floating on the water … when they tell you that the sea has taken away a bunch of tents into the sea, how do you respond to that?”

Kofa says these pictures were sent by her cousins in Gaza who came back to their ruined homes after a ceasefire that began on Jan. 19. (Submitted by Hala Kofa)

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that started on Jan. 19 “was the urgent and most immediate need” for her family and her friend, she said. “They have their hopes, wishes — they are dreaming of this.”

She said she speaks regularly via WhatsApp voice messages with her friend, who volunteered at refugee camps and is in Gaza now. He shared pictures of how they were teaching kids at the camps.

“They don’t have whiteboards, they don’t have anything. And the kids are staying at the camp on the floor.”

Kofa’s friend sent her pictures of the camps in Gaza where he volunteered. (Submitted by Hala Kofa)

She also played CBC voice messages from her friend, which had the sounds of bombing in the background.

“You hear the bombing, and if you noticed, his voice didn’t even shake. They are so used to it,” she said.

Kofa also showed CBC videos sent by her friend, showing kids dancing and celebrating before they started school.

“The kids are so happy, and they are very hopeful and optimistic that they’re going back to their lives,” she said. “And all the kids that were killed were kids like that.”

Kofa shows a picture sent to her by her friend in Gaza. He used to feed a kitten, but when he evacuated after the war with Israel began in October 2023, he couldn’t find it. When he returned to his home, the cat was waiting in the rubble, Kofa’s friend said. (Submitted by Hala Kofa)

But there have been signs of hope. She says her friend used to feed a cat, but when he evacuated, he couldn’t find it.

When he returned to his home, though, the cat was there, waiting in the rubble.

Living with survivor’s guilt

Despite being relieved after the recent ceasefire deal, Kofa says she is “traumatized and broken from within” and lives with what she described as “survivor’s guilt,” because as a Palestinian, she could have been in Gaza and experienced what others have.

“Throughout the period of 15 months, I cried every day when I went into the shower and warm water poured on me — I felt guilty for having that. Every day when I put lunch on the table, I felt guilty for having that.”

Kofa is helping an 11-year-old Palestinian boy, right, who came to Manitoba from Gaza with his mother, left, so he could receive medical treatment. (Submitted by Hala Kofa)

She is now actively involved in advocating for the rights of Palestinians, and has volunteered with an organizing group trying to get medical treatment in Manitoba for children from Gaza.

That includes helping an 11-year-old Palestinian boy, who came to Manitoba from Gaza with his mother so he could receive medical treatment, with the paperwork and their settlement process.

With tears in her eyes, Kofa reflected on her future, saying she hopes to reunite with her cousins and family in Gaza one day.

“My mom’s stories about my grandpa’s farms [in Gaza] are very close to my heart,” she said. “I have a dream to have a farm in Palestine, and to have a warm cup of tea in a free Palestine.”