Soon after the ceasefire was announced, Palestinians streamed north to find their destroyed houses and begin to clean up. Palestinians are already eagerly reopening wells blocked by Israeli troops, bulldozing rubble left by Israeli bombs and even repainting walls!!. By hand and using remaining and donated machinery, they have started to make Gaza liveable again. Some countries have started to help. Canada could do so as well…
Western media has been full of stories about how Gaza is not ‘liveable”. The destruction visited on Gaza by Israeli forces using American bombs, missiles and shells, has been unbelieveable.
But Palestinians have not given up. In fact, there are hundreds of short videos available on Tiktok and other media showing that Gaza is being rebuilt already. Like Berlin in 1945, Gaza begins to rise again. Here are 10 very short videos (mostly from Tiktok) showing the resilience and determination of Palestinians to rebuild Gaza. There are many, many more…
- Hi, I’m Bissan and Im’ going back home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8WOCx2SX_E
- “Trump, Gaza Will NEVER Be Yours!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2MnMpaTVT8
- We will build better than before.
- We will build it against their will!
- Man cleans up his house
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lH0K8d0bwvg - Men sweeping up with brooms
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMkgvCW8c/ - Woman happy to be home – finds dishes still in dishwasher!!
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMkgv6Gus/ - Even bulldozers (where did they get them from?) https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMks6o7qK/
- Help us fix our houses please! https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMks6o7qK/
- Palestinian architect lets imagination flow. https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMkpo6a2v/
- Workers singing “Free Palestine” while working. https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMkpEVcsg/
How can Canada help?
Canada should demand that Israel allow western journalists to cover what is actually happening in Gaza. Israel continues to ban mainstream media, including the CBC, from sending its journalists to Gaza. As a result, the images above are only available on Aljazeera or Tiktok.
Canada could offer financing and technical expertise. Many countries, including Egypt and Jordan, have already volunteered equipment and materials. Malaysia has offered to help build schools, mosques and hospitals.
Canada can also provide short term medical assistance. Gaza is still very short of hospitals and medical equipment as a result of the Israeli bombing campaign. The Canadian Military has a specialized Disaster Response Team called DART.
According to the DART website “Canada’s DART can help when natural disasters and emergencies happen in other countries (…) when local responders are overwhelmed and people have nowhere else to turn. The DART can leave on very short notice to anywhere in the world, and it can operate for up to 60 days.”
The most dramatic part of the genocidal campaign has been paused. Palestinians in Gaza are showing determination to rebuild their homes. Instead of providing military equipment to Israel, Canada should help Palestinians recover.
Canada Talks Israel Palestine (CTIP) is the weekly newsletter of Peter Larson, Chair of the Ottawa Forum on Israel/Palestine (OFIP). It aims to promote a serious discussion in Canada about Canada’s response to the complicated and emotional Israel/Palestine issue with a focus on the truth, clear analysis and human rights for all. Readers with different points of view are invited to make comment.
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Canada Talks Israel/Palestine 
My fear is that Israel will allow some rebuilding and then, as they have done before, start to destroy Gaza buildings and other resources again. They have referred to this pattern as “mowing the lawn”. After the “weeds” are cut back, they will allow the real-estate developer masquerading as a leader to build his new Riviera.
The first priority must be to prevent more destruction and a repeat of the attempted ethnic cleansing. Only if and when that is done, does it make sense to rebuild again. I do not know how to end the cycle of destruction but it must end/ .
Thank you Dr. Parnas,
Israel has not given up its desire to get rid of the Palestinians – wherever they are. I don’t think this can be solved until the Zionist idea of Jewish Supremacy can be replaced by an ethic of equal rights. I’m afraid this is being ignored by western media.
The fundamental problem is the myth that the land belongs exclusively to Jews and that this gives them the right to oppress and/or expel others. The myth is the result of generations of propaganda, selective reading, and biased memories. It will be hard, perhaps impossible, to replace.