From the stage of the Second World Summit on Social Development, Samah Hamad — the Palestinian minister of social development — described how the smell of slow-cooked lamb, fresh herbs, and warm bread once filled the corners of Palestinian homes.
She explained how mothers would place dishes on kitchen tables, calling children to gather beside her as the food cooled. She spoke of how that scene used to play out across the cities, villages, and refugee camps. But in Gaza, she said, all of those tables were gone.
“There is no meal, no smell, no family,” said Hamad, addressing government leaders in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday. “This is Gaza today.”