The promise I made to Ismail al-Ghoul

Two years ago, on July 31, 2024, I was spending the evening with my two sisters in Gaza City’s Remal neighbourhood, shopping for new clothes. For the first time in months, I felt hopeful, speaking with confidence about the day the war would end and we would return to our home in Jabalia to rebuild it. As I reached for an item of clothing, the shopkeeper suddenly interrupted us. Looking at his phone wi...