Yusra Deeb, a woman from Umm al-Faraj village in the Acre, grew up within the walls of Rashidieh refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Over time, exile became a homeland, and displacement turned into an extension of an unforgettable memory.
Fate led her to marry a man from Beit Lahia in Gaza, giving her the opportunity to visit Gaza for the first time in 2013. She recalls her fear of the unknown at the time: "What will life be like there? Will I get used to it? Will I find my lost homeland in its streets?"
She lived in Gaza until 2018, and when her husband passed away, she was forced to return to Lebanon. However, in 2019, she returned once again. When asked why, she simply said: "Gaza has become another homeland for me."
Describing her connection to both the Palestinian communities in Lebanon and Gaza, Yusra says: "I have always felt an invisible yet strong thread linking us—one that connects exile there with resilience here. We may be in different places, carrying different identities and passports, but we all return to the same roots, the same dream, and the same cause that refuses to fade away."
