Atef Abu Saif Knihy

In July 2014, in response to the kidnapping and murder of three teenagers, Israel launched a wide-scale attack on the people of Strip, lasting 51 days, killing 2145 Gazans (578 of them children), injuring more than 11,000, and demolishing 17,200 homes. The worldwide public outcry at this punishment of an entire people was coupled with protests at the pro-Israeli bias of much of the Western media. The usual news machine rolled up, and the same tragic scenes and heightened political rhetoric was aired, yet practically nothing was being reported of the lives of ordinary, nonpolitical Gazans, the real victims of the war. One of the few voices to make it out was that of Atef Abu Saif, a writer and editor who had toured the UK just weeks before to launch an anthology of stories depicting ordinary Gazan life. Atef's eye-witness diary pieces were published in a range of major outlets (the Guardian, the New York Times, Slate, and the Sunday Times, etc) and became a unique porthole into the conflict for Western readers. Here, his complete diaries of the war, offer a unique perspective on one of the world's most contested political crises.

The diary of Atef Abu Saif provides a poignant glimpse into Gazan society during the devastating 2014 conflict, which resulted in significant casualties and destruction. As a writer and teacher from Jabalia refugee camp, Abu Saif captures the harrowing experiences of ordinary life amidst the chaos, reflecting the fears of a young father concerned for his family's safety. His firsthand accounts offer a unique perspective on the war, contrasting the familiar political rhetoric with the personal struggles faced by those living in Gaza.

Bringing together a dozen of Palestine’s greatest modern prose writers, this unique anthology sets contemporary stories against the backdrop of one of the world’s most talked-about cities, presenting them in English translation for the first time. Together, these stories will enable English-speaking readers to go beyond the global media coverage and enter into the daily life of ordinary characters struggling to live with dignity in what is effectively the world’s largest prison. The authors range from highly acclaimed writers to exciting new voices in Arabic literature, including the “Father of the Palestinian” short story, Zaki Al Ela, and a new generation of young women bloggers and activists, such as Mona Abu Sharikhm, Dawlat Al Masri, and Najla Attalah.

The narrative immerses readers in the daily lives of Gazan civilians amidst the conflict between Israel and Hamas, providing a comprehensive account that transcends brief news reports. It serves as a vital testimony, highlighting the profound impact of war on everyday people and their struggle to preserve their humanity amid overwhelming chaos and destruction. This deeply moving depiction captures the resilience and spirit of those affected by the ongoing violence.

On October 7, Israeli territory around the Erez border of Gaza Strip was invaded in a surprise attack by Hamas's Al Qassam Brigades. In response to this, the people of Gaza have been subjected to nearly three months of wholesale genocide. Over 20,000 civilians have been killed, an estimated million made homeless and displaced, tens of thousands injured, and an entire population traumatised. Never in living history has such an atrocity been perpetrated in plain sight of the world's leaders and mainstream media, who have all somehow managed to give it their complete backing. Images and video clips of hourly horrors and tragedies have spread around the world, combatted by fake news propagated not by dark conspiratorial corners on the web, but by corporate media outlets and politicians. Baseless Israeli propaganda and deliberately-biased framing has been fed to journalists and repeated, without question, on the front pages of the world's newspapers and in the mouths of TV pundits and politicians. One of the few voices of Gaza to make it out into Western media has been that of writer Atef Abu Saif', whose diary entries have been occasionally serialised (with edits and framing) in

Am 7. Juli 2014 beginnt der bisher letzte der vielen Kämpfe um den Gazastreifen. Inmitten aller Pressestimmen zum Geschehen tauchen in den führenden Zeitungen der Welt Tagebuchtexte auf. Ihr Autor: Atef Abu Saif, ein in der arabischen Welt bekannter Romancier. Er hält fest, was um ihn herum geschieht. Wie er mit seiner Frau den Alltag bewältigt. Wie er seinen Kindern zu erklären versucht, warum sie nicht mehr auf die Straße dürfen. Wie er mit der Angst kämpft, wenn vor dem Fenster die Drohne surrt. In einundfünfzig Tagebucheinträgen, vom ersten bis zum letzten Tag des Kriegs, ohne Polemik, ohne Schuldzuweisungen, erzählt Atef Abu Saif das Unvorstellbare. Von Tragödien, von Verzweiflung, von gegenseitiger Hilfe, von heiteren Momenten trotz allem und von einer unausrottbaren Zuversicht der Menschen.

Abgeschieden auf einem Hügel, nicht unweit seines Hauses, steht Naims Druckerei, die einzige im Flüchtlingslager von Gaza. Ab und zu kommt jemand vorbei und übergibt ihm ein Foto, und Naim macht sich an die Arbeit: Er hat sich der Aufgabe verschrieben, Erinnerungen zu drucken – Poster derjenigen, die in den Zusammenstößen im Lager ihr Leben verloren haben. Als Naim selbst getötet wird, erkennen die Menschen um ihn herum, wie tief er mit ihnen allen verbunden war. Die stumme Druckerei wird ihnen zu einem Ort der Erinnerung. Doch das Gebäude soll abgerissen und an seiner Stelle eine Polizeistation errichtet werden. Die Anwohner aber wollen sich diesen Ort nicht nehmen lassen und beginnen, sich gegen die Pläne zu wehren.