### Gaza Family's Ordeal Highlights Widespread Displacement

Ne'man Abu Jarad, his wife Majida, and their six daughters now live in a tent made of canvas sheets and cords. For the past year, they have trekked across the Gaza Strip, desperately trying to survive amidst the destruction caused by Israeli forces. Their once stable life in northern Gaza, full of routine, love, and safety, now feels like a distant memory.

Back then, their home in northern Gaza was a sanctuary of comfort and community. Evenings were spent around the kitchen table or on the roof, enjoying the scent of roses and jasmine. "Your house is your homeland. Everything good in our life was the home," Ne'man recalled, emphasizing the importance of both tangible and intangible aspects of their previous life, including family and neighbors.

The family's stable life came to a halt following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, which triggered an Israeli campaign in Gaza. Obeying evacuation orders, they fled seven times, each move plunging them deeper into uncertainty. Their journey recounts tales of living with strangers in school classrooms, searching for water in tent camps, and spending nights sleeping on the street.

The Associated Press followed the Abu Jarad family through these harrowing displacements. Nearly 1.9 million of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians have been uprooted, and more than 41,600 people have lost their lives. Similar to countless others, the Abu Jarads have been forced to move multiple times due to the ongoing conflict.

Before the chaos erupted, Ne'man provided for his family by working as a taxi driver in Beit Hanoun. Majida took care of their daughters, with the youngest, Lana, having just started first grade, and Hoda, 18, beginning university. The eldest daughter, Balsam, had recently become a mother herself. Their home, adorned with a grapevine and potted flowers, was a place for soothing evening rituals and community gatherings.

In recounting their ordeal, the Abu Jarad family's story serves as a stark reminder of the widespread suffering and displacement that continues to affect the people of Gaza.