Gaza refugee Omar al-Hassayna waits in Cairo for safe return home
Omar al-Hassayna, who lost most of his family in a November 2023 Israeli strike, remains in Cairo, hoping Gaza becomes stable enough for his return.
Omar al-Hassayna escaped Gaza for Cairo after an Israeli airstrike on November 22, 2023 destroyed an apartment block in Gaza City, killing 308 of his relatives, including his wife, four adult sons and several grandchildren. Three years on, he survives in Egypt by intermittently selling firefighting equipment, has remarried, and watches the ongoing conflict, which still sees Israeli forces occupying more than 60% of Gaza and conducting near-daily airstrikes.
The Palestinian Authority estimates over 100,000 Gaza residents remain abroad, with only about 7,000 managing to go back despite a ceasefire and promised reconstruction. Aid agencies describe the remaining population as living in inadequate temporary shelters with scarce supplies. Hassayna says he will return once Gaza is stable, reconstruction begins, and an international agreement secures the Palestinian people’s future.
Why it matters
It shows the enduring humanitarian crisis for Gaza's displaced and the challenges to their repatriation.
How this story developed
- Sep 10 Oscar-winning Israelis debut documentary on Gaza civilian deaths at Venice Festival
- Sep 10 Naza was added to the Venice Film Festival line‑up only weeks before the event concludes.
- Sep 15 Lebanon’s National News Agency said Israeli forces set fire to a government hospital in the town of Mays al-Jabal, Marjayoun, in southern Lebanon on Friday. The report added that Israeli military vehicles moved through Al-Mansouri in the Tyre district, an explosion occurred in Al-Bayyadah, and artillery shelling targeted Al-Mansouri. The Israeli army has not responded, and the agency provided no specifics on the damage or any casualties at the hospital. These incidents come despite a US-mediated framework agreement reached in June that outlines a phased Israeli pull-out from Lebanese territory and the deployment of the Lebanese army to vacated zones. Israel continues to conduct operations in the south, maintaining control over areas occupied for decades and others seized in recent conflicts. Lebanese official figures record at least 4,386 killed and 12,407 wounded since March 2, while the Health Ministry cites a total of 8,953 deaths and 30,643 injuries from Israeli attacks since October 8, 2023.
- Sep 19 Netanyahu pledged legislation to strip citizenship from those who “defame” soldiers.
- Sep 26 The film’s worldwide theatrical rollout began late September and a free online streaming launch was announced for November.
- Sep 28 Overnight Israeli airstrikes and artillery hit several towns in southern Lebanon.
- Oct 2 A trailer for NAZA was released, revealing soldier testimonies and the film’s title origin.
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