How to Survive in a House Without Walls

"As of this writing, we have settled in a rented house in the south of Gaza City-though "house" is a generous description. It is the remnants of a home. There are no walls here; it is a shelter that itself seems ambivalent toward our habitation. Our children run wild through a living room that opens directly onto rubble, so the threat of their falling through the ruins is always imminent."

"I still remember my husband's gaze as we prepared to move into the house. Looking around, he said, "We can't possibly live here, but we'll build a home, even if it must be built out of nothing." He began gathering old scraps of wood and nylon. Enlisting the help of a few friends who were craftsmen, he fastened wooden planks to the wall and stretched nylon over the hollow gaps, creating a makeshift cover to protect our children."

A mother, her husband, and five children did not return home because it was obliterated in the war, leaving only memories. They settled in the remnants of a rented house in south Gaza City, a shelter without walls whose living room opens onto rubble, creating constant danger for the children. The husband and a few craftsmen gathered scraps of wood and nylon, fastening planks and stretching coverings over hollow gaps to create a makeshift protection. The walls are flimsy and tremble in the breeze. With Israeli bans on building materials, there is no cement, steel, or proper tools, so he mixed red clay and water to patch holes and paste gravel into crevices.

Read at The Nation