From 1948 to Today: One Palestinian Family’s Story of Displacement

Added: 2026-05-29

[00:00:00]Why won't my family leave their home in North Gaza?

[00:00:05]One word, Nakba. [music] The Nakba refers to the first moment we became refugees. My grandfather, Haj Yasin al-Madhoun, lived in al-Majdal, Palestine. [music] My grandmother, Sittie Rifka, was older than him, and she came from wealth. In 1948, my family [music] started hearing that armed militias were terrorizing the nearby towns. My grandparents were scared [music] for their safety.

[00:00:30]Sittie fled with her parents to Gaza seeking safety [music] from all the horror stories she was hearing. Sittie followed a few days later. [music] In fact, he left a chicken in the oven thinking he would return home the next day to eat it.

[00:00:43]>> [music] >> Many people tried going back. They were killed.

[00:00:47]My grandparents became refugees and never [music] saw al-Majdal again.

[00:00:52]The more I think about those horrifying events of 1948, [music] the more I see the similarities to what's happening in Gaza today. [music] Now I get what happened in the Nakba and the struggle my family faced then.

[00:01:05]Those Nakba scars are the reason why my parents remain in the north of Gaza now.

[00:01:10]They refuse [music] to repeat the history of displacement.