Dear Mr Trump,
I am Palestinian and I am writing to you as a survivor of the genocide. He was born and raised in Gaza, a city of love and resilience.
I have read your statement about Gaza and frankly, I am confused.
You claim to be a “peacemaker,” but encourage Israel to continue the genocide and ask that “all hell” be released if your demands are not met.
Trump, we’ve already gone through hell. We lost 60,000 martyrs among them.
You will request credit for the ceasefire agreement, but your government – one of its guarantors refuses to pressure Israel to fulfill all the obligations below it.
We call Gaza a “demolition site,” but we can’t give the criminal director a convenient name, but at the same time it supplies more bombs, funds and diplomatic cover.
You talk about Palestinians being “safe” and “happy” but you are the burden offloaded to Jordan, Egypt, or countries that are willing to take us with us. I’ll introduce you to us as well.
You insists that we are “just because we are on the Gaza Strip.”
Trump, I think you deeply misunderstand who we are and what Gaza is for us.
You may think of us as mere obstacles to the vision of luxury resorts, but we are people with deep roots, long history and undeniable rights. We are the legitimate owners of our land.
Gaza is not your business venture and is not for sale.
Gaza is our home, our land, our inheritance.
No, it’s not true that we want to be here because we “don’t know anything else.” The 17-year siege of Israel made life extremely difficult for us, but some of us were still able to travel for education, treatment and work. But these people are still coming back as Gaza is at home.
A powerful example is Dr. Refaat Alarier, a moving figure who was targeted and killed in 2023 when Israel’s occupation was targeted and killed. He received his master’s degree from the UK and later earned his doctorate from the University of Malaysia.
Despite having the opportunity to stay abroad, he chose to return to Gaza, where he taught creative writing and literature at an Islamic university. He also co-founded We Are Not Numbers as an initiative that combines young Palestinian writers with experienced writers to amplify voices and resist the profession through storytelling. One of these voices is mine.
Last spring I had the opportunity to leave, and I disagreed with it. During the war of genocide, I was unable to leave my family, friends or Gaza. But like many others, I will travel to complete my education and then come back to help rebuild and support my people.
This is the Palestinian way. We seek knowledge and opportunities and not abandon our homeland, we build and strengthen it.
Speaking of buildings, we talk about plans to turn Gaza into a “Middle Eastern Riviera.” The problem is that Gaza was the Middle Eastern Riviera. Our ancestors have incorporated it into the thriving trade hub, Port City and Cultural Centre. It was “magnificent” to use your words that Israel was created and it began to be destroyed.
Yet, with each Israeli brutal attack on Gaza, the Palestinians were rebuilt. Despite all Israeli violence, restrictions and thieves, Palestinians have confirmed that Gaza is a safe place with a comfortable rhythm of life.
Israel now tries to reduce everything in Gaza to rub and death, so we can no longer live there. You take this idea and effectively support our ethnic cleansing under the humanitarian veneer.
No, Trump, we are not “happy” and “safe” elsewhere.
But I agree with you about something else you said: “You must learn from history.” Indeed, history teaches us that modern settlers’ colonialism is unsustainable. In this sense, your plan and the Israeli plan are destined to fail.
We, the Gaza people, like the indigenous people, refuse to be uprooted. We refuse to be confiscated. We refuse to be forced into asylum so that we can hand our land to the highest bidder. We are not a problem to solve. We are people who have the right to live in our homelands in freedom and dignity.
The amount of bombs, blockades, or tanks will not let you forget that. No relocation, resettlement or exchange will occur.
Power and wealth do not determine the fate of Gaza. History is not written by thieves. It is written by people who resist and by the will of the people. No matter the pressure, connections to this land will never be cut off. Suspension and waiver are not options. We honor the martyrs with resistance by nourishing this land with love, attention and memory.
I hope for the best in your useless pursuit,
Hassan Abuqamal
Gaza, Palestine
The views expressed in this article are the authors themselves and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.