London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Palestinians in Lebanon, Syria Hope Gaza Solidarity Boosts Cause

Palestinians in Lebanon, Syria Hope Gaza Solidarity Boosts Cause

From marching in rallies to posting live updates on social media, Palestinian refugee Mira Krayem has barely slept since conflict gripped her ancestral homeland earlier this month.

But the 24-year-old university student, who lives in Lebanon, said she felt solidarity messages for the Palestinian cause from across the world have made her and fellow activists feel reenergized after years of crushing defeat.

"It makes us feel like we have a voice," said Krayem, on a rooftop overlooking Shatila, the tightly packed refugee camp in Beirut where she was born, one of some 475,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

In 11 days of violence before a ceasefire was declared last week, Israeli jets and artillery pounded Gaza, the blockaded Palestinian coastal enclave of two million ruled by Islamist group Hamas, who fired thousands of rockets towards Israel.

With graphic images of Israeli bomb blasts and Hamas rocket attacks broadcast live on television networks, supporters of each side took to social media to express their anger.

The United States and other states stressed Israel's right to defend itself against rockets fired by Hamas, but rights groups spoke out against the destruction wreaked on the enclave.

As the death toll mounted -- especially on the Palestinian side, given Israel's air superiority and its Iron Dome missile defense system stopping most Hamas rockets -- there were growing expressions of solidarity for the people of Gaza as thousands were made homeless with entire tower blocks blasted into dust.

- 'Makes you feel alive' -


During the bombardments, hundreds of Palestinians and Lebanese marched in Beirut, echoing similar rallies of support for Gaza held in countries across the world.

British pop star Dua Lipa and models of Palestinian descent Bella and Gigi Hadid posted messages of support for Palestinian rights -- in turn prompting solidarity messages from those backing Israel's right to defend itself.

It has given the impetus to Palestinian refugees to keep pushing their cause.

"It is tiring, but it's tiring in a beautiful way," Krayem said, a Palestinian flag drawn on her black jumper.

"It makes you feel alive and close to Palestine."

Krayem's energy is emblematic of a generation born long after what Palestinians call the Nakba -- the "catastrophe" -- when more than 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes by the 1948 war that led to the creation of the state of Israel.

Nearly three-quarters of a century later, their number has grown to millions scattered around the world.

Most live in the surrounding regional nations of Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria -- countries all bordering Israel -- where they are often marginalized.

Israel disputes their right to return.

Recent normalization deals between Israel and Arab states looked like another nail in the Palestinian cause's coffin.

But the tragedy of the recent crisis has brought people together.

"Everyone in the camp is looking for a way to help... and discussions about Palestine haven't stopped," said Krayem, who also works as a volunteer teaching children Palestinian history and culture.

"All these people, who were so distracted with the economic crisis or the coronavirus pandemic in Lebanon, they all started talking about return again," she added.

"You can hear people saying things like 'tomorrow, when we return.'"

- 'Our time is up' -


For elderly grandmother Rahma Abdul Qader in the Syrian capital Damascus -- one of some 438,000 Palestinian refugees in the country -- she fears it may be too late for her to ever return.

Qader left Jaffa -- now a mixed Arab-Jewish quarter of Tel Aviv -- in 1948, when she was nine.

"Even after all these years, the image of this place is fresh in my mind," she told AFP, surrounded by her family. "I tell my grandchildren about it all the time."

Unlike Krayem, she is not hopeful she will see her homeland again.

"Our time is up," she said. "But maybe my grandchildren will return one day, because justice always prevails in the end."

Her 55-year-old daughter Iman said she was touched by messages of support.

"The Palestinians used to feel isolated in recent years," said.

"But after everything that happened, there is a feeling that we have people on our side."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×