What did Palestinians take when they fled after October 7?

What the report says

Al Jazeera published a photo-led feature from Gaza Strip on October 8, 2026, focusing on what displaced Palestinians chose to carry with them after the war that began following October 7, 2023. The piece highlights how hurried departures and repeated displacement forced families to leave homes, possessions and, in many cases, entire lives behind.

The article centers on several personal stories that use one saved item to reflect larger loss and resilience. Omar Hamad carried part of his personal library when he fled Beit Hanoon, Shahd Abu Khosa took her two dogs, Yaseen al-Qubt kept his oud, Huda Helassa saved a signed T-shirt from school, and Mahmoud Hussein insisted on bringing his toys. Their experiences are presented as examples of how people in Gaza tried to preserve identity, memory, comfort or routine amid bombardment, hunger and repeated moves.

Al Jazeera says the stories also show the wider human cost of displacement in Gaza, where homes were later destroyed, pets and belongings were lost, and some people returned to find only ruins. The feature notes that several of the subjects were displaced multiple times as fighting continued. It also provides context from Gaza’s Ministry of Health, which said that by September 27, 2026, at least 74,018 Palestinians had been killed and 175,079 injured since the start of the war.