Gazans' joyful reunion to celebrate Eid with loved ones

Coming home to visit had previously been too difficult for most

Ahmed Mosabah, who left Gaza in 2007 to study in Canada, is greeted by family members after returning for Eid. Pictures: Majd Mahmoud for The National

The kitchen in Um Rateb Alalool's house in Gaza city is bustling with excitement, laughter and conversation as her family shares stories while the smell of cookies baking for Eid Al Adha fills the air.

It might look like an everyday scene of familial happiness, but to mother-of-six Um Rateb, it is a special once-in-a-decade event.

“I miss all of this atmosphere, I am really so happy that my husband took the decision to visit Gaza this Eid,” the 40-year-old told The National.

Returning home to visit had previously been too difficult for most Gazans, but now the Alalools are just one of many families reunited thanks to changes at the Rafah crossing, the enclave’s only border entry point with Egypt.

Um Rateb left Gaza for Canada in 2013 with her husband Ghassan, 48, to build a life in Vancouver with their children, who now range from nine months to 14 years old.

Restrictions at the Rafah crossing over the years have caused significant difficulties for those seeking to travel to Gaza, including the occasional closure of the border, limited working hours and limits on the number of citizens allowed to pass during any given day.

Crossing has become easier after an agreement between Gaza's Hamas government and Egypt.

“I believe there has been a change in the crossing's operation from 50 to 60 per cent, which is a good move,” political analyst Mostafa Al Sawaf said.

“As a result of the current understandings between Hamas and the Egyptian side, there are factors that have changed in terms of military barriers that travellers used to spend times waiting at, even at the entrance to Sinai.”

He said the journey time between Cairo to the Egyptian city of El Arish and on to Gaza was now a day, whereas it used to take at least two owing to check points.

The changes have prompted a growing number of Gazans living abroad to visit their families for special occasions.

“The moment I stepped foot on Gaza soil, I was flooded with a rush of emotions, ranging from happiness and relief to nostalgia and even a touch of homesickness,” Ghassan said.

Um Rateb said she was keen to return to forge a relationship between her children and their relatives.

“Taking my children and going to market is one of Eid appearances, where the market is crowded with people,” she said.

With a higher income, they are now able to help family members by sending money and bringing gifts.

Ahmed Mosabah, 37, said there is something unique about Eid in Gaza, even as people in the area suffer hardships.

“Eid in Gaza has a different taste, [during these] family gatherings,” he said. “My sisters prayed for me, which I really needed.”

Gaza now a 'different city'

Ahmed, who left Gaza in 2007 to study in Canada, came back with his wife and four children to spend Eid with his family.

He left Canada on Tuesday morning and reached Gaza on Thursday night before crossing the Rafah border.

He said in previous years, a trip to Gaza would require meticulous planning, including factoring in days extra to spend at Rafah in case of delays or closures.

“Facilities nowadays at the Rafah crossing encouraged me to come to Gaza, and I will make it again,” Ahmed said.

“A lot of things have changed in Gaza, I didn’t recognise some areas which make me feel I am in a different city. [It is] not the same one I left.”

For Huda Salem, 30, Eid family gatherings are the most important part of the celebration.

Huda, who left for Saudi Arabia 10 years ago, returned this year with her husband and children to spend Eid in Gaza.

She said: “In Gaza for Eid, there is the beach and public markets and family visits, which is really amazing.”

She said she now plans to return to Gaza during her summer break.