Palestinians in Brazil see ‘relief’ in ceasefire

Asked if he would consider returning to Gaza, given a possible peace pact that remains in force, Rabee did not show enthusiasm. “Of course we want to go back to Palestine. But back to where? 90% of the population lives in tents on the street,” he lamented.

Back to where? Whoever is there cannot live. There is no structure, no hospitals or schools. There is nothing. The living conditions were completely destroyed. To rebuild all that, it will take ten or twenty years
Hasan Rabee

“Everything was destroyed again. Am I going to build my life from scratch there? I prefer to build it from scratch in a place where there is no conflict. That’s something a lot of people say,” he said.

Another Palestinian family — who currently lives in São Paulo and asked not to be identified — adopted the same reasoning. According to the father, the children are starting to adapt to school and he got a job. “We don’t have luxury. But we can sleep. In Gaza, that wasn’t even possible,” he said. For them, however, the announcement of a ceasefire is “a relief”.

Many of those in Brazil are still trying to reunite their families, taking to the country relatives who stayed in Gaza and who, because they did not have Brazilian passports, were unable to be rescued by the government at that time.

Both Rabee and other Palestinians who spoke to the reporter confirmed that, in contacts with Gaza, one of the main concerns refers to what will happen to the population once the conflict ends.