On the Pleasures of Living in Gaza: Remembering A Way of Life Now Destroyed

Beyond the headlines of destruction and despair, discover the untold story of Gaza's humanity—its joys, resilience, and vibrant community spirit, as captured by a native son.

Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza has plunged more than two million Palestinians into a ceaseless cycle of violence and deprivation. Despite the outrage that Israel’s aggression has fanned, two opposing tropes about those who inhabit the Strip endure. For the minority backing Israel’s actions, the Palestinians of Gaza are often seen as little more than terrorists. For many on the other side, they are perpetual victims, powerless and tragic. Each characterization dehumanizes Gaza’s people.

In this book, Mohammed Omer Almoghayer, born and raised in southern Gaza, presents a necessary corrective: What the news reports have rarely shown are the ways in which, prior to Israel’s onslaught, the people of Gaza rose above their hardship to enjoy the simple pleasures of human existence. While in no way diminishing the horrors hurled at the Strip since October 7, or the prior suffering of those forced to live in what was effectively an open prison, Omer Almoghayer here tells that story.

On the Pleasures of Living in Gaza takes the reader on a tour of a most misunderstood and hidden territory, allowing us to discover the community spirit, the enduring family ties, the festivals and pastimes, and the creativity and resourcefulness of people, who, in lives now tragically lost, refused to surrender to hopelessness, snatching moments of joy in the most difficult of circumstances.

More than ever, it is vital that we recognize the humanity of people referred to by Israel’s defense minister as “animals,” and by news organizations around the world by bald numbers of nameless dead. With the sensitivity and insight available to a native Gazan, Mohammed Omer’s magnificent book parts the smoke and dust to show us the richness of a way of life Israel has now destroyed.

Mohammed Omer Almoghayer is a Palestinian author and journalist, born and raised in Rafah, south Gaza Strip. He has reported for various media outlets, including the New York Times, Al Jazeera, the New Statesman, the Nation and Democracy Now. Omer Almoghayer is the author of Shell-Shocked and co-author of The Oslo Accords 1993–2013: A Critical Assessment. He is a recipient of the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism, has a PhD in communication science, and has worked as a research fellow at Harvard University's Center for Middle East Studies.