'We Want To Go Home': Gazan Couple In Phillipines Recalls War, Loss, Rebuilding Life

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Philippine -born Fatima Cargolio met her Palestinian husband, Naji Al-Abdala, while they were both workers in Al-Ain three decades ago. They had a daughter and a son in the UAE before eventually moving to Gaza, Naji's homeland.

“Life was good for us in Gaza. We were operating a store near Al-Quds University selling spices, chocolates and biscuits,” Fatima recalled. She said they had their own house and a farm, and their children were enrolled in the university.

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Everything drastically changed when October 7, 2023 came, Fatima told Khaleej Times. She counted 30 drone attacks in their neighbourhood, targeting the nearby police headquarters, from 7pm that day. Naji and Fatima hunkered down beside their house's interior walls, trying not to get hit.

When the initial aerial attacks abated, her daughter came with her four-year-old son Amir. She told them she could not find her husband. Later reports by friends confirmed that they had lost him to the Israeli attacks.

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Fatima and Naji did not want to leave Gaza at first. But as soon as stores could no longer open, and electricity and water were cut off, they agreed to be repatriated to the Philippines via Egypt.

“We were among the third batch of Gazan refugees that flew to the Philippines a month and a half after the Israeli siege. We left on November 9 and arrived in Manila on November 14 of that year,” Fatima said.

Safe in the Philippines, Naji, 55, and Fatima, 67, thought their son-in-law's death would be the last in their family. A month later, however, on December 15, their own son died of a heart attack, leaving a widow behind.

“The doctors told me the stress of the war in Gaza, his uprooting from the only life he'd known, and our forced evacuation contributed to our son's death,” Fatima said.

Rebuilding lives

The couple fought through their grief and started to look for ways to earn a living. With support from Arab friends in the Philippines as well as Filipino organisations, they started selling Palestinian food wherever allowed.

From Tuesdays to Thursdays, they sell to students, faculty and staff at the University of the Philippines. They also sell during various activities, such as food bazaars in government offices and cultural events.

“Our beef and grilled chicken biryani are our bestsellers,” Naji said. But the couple also sells chicken and beef shawarma, cheese and nuts baklava, zainab fingers, layali lobnan sweets, roz bel laban, qataye sweets, Palestinian kunafa, beef rendang, maqlouba rice, kabsa rice, and uzi rice.

“We also accept bulk orders through my Facebook account,” Fatima said.

Naji and Fatima patiently explain to curious passersby how carefully their food is prepared. Naji tells them he only uses authentic Middle Eastern spices when cooking. They have also made friends with repeat customers.

Life goes on

The only topic that could make the couple stop talking about their food is their grandson Amir, now seven years old.“He already speaks fluent Filipino!” Fatima exclaimed. Naji, a proud grandfather, also intimated that his grandson already has a crush on someone among the family's Filipino friends.

The couple said they do not know when the Israeli war would end.“If there were a real ceasefire, I would want to go back to Gaza, sell anything that I could from what remains of our properties there, and use that as capital for a food business here in the Philippines,” Naji told Khaleej Times.

It is the Philippine-born Fatima, however, who said she still wishes to go back to Gaza permanently.“We are Gazans. We want to go back to Gaza,” she said.

Solidarity and support

On Wednesday, October 7, Fatima said she watched reports of Filipino activists, led by the Philippine-Palestine Friendship Association, marching to the US Embassy in Manila to denounce its support for the Israeli war in Gaza.

“I cried while watching the reports. Aside from helping us with our livelihood here in the Philippines, they risk being arrested for standing up for us refugees, us Palestinians,” Fatima said.

“I love them very much,” she added.

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