An AP photographer sees the plight of Palestinians in one man carrying a refrigerator through the rubble
NUR SHAMS, West Bank (AP) — Majdi Mohammed has been working as a photojournalist for The Associated Press for 19 years in the West Bank. He lives in the village of Salem, east of the city of Nablus. This what he had to say about this extraordinary photo.
Why shoot this photo?
The distance between Nablus and Tulkarem is approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles), but the trip is compounded by the Israeli military checkpoints that block the main roads, forcing me to take rough, unpaved dirt roads, which adds more difficulty and time to the journey. On the way, news came in that the Israeli army had decided to demolish 17 homes in the Nur Shams refugee camp for Palestinians, giving its residents only two hours to enter their homes and take their personal belongings before the detonations started.
Upon arriving at the area, I parked my car away from the event, as it is common for Israeli forces to smash Palestinian cars during raids. I put on my personal safety gear — a bulletproof vest, a helmet, a gas mask, a first aid kit, and my camera — and headed toward the entrance to the camp. At the entrance, the scene was tense and violent.
The Israeli soldiers fired into the air to disperse the Palestinians who were impatiently waiting to be allowed to enter their homes. Despite the Red Cross' promises of two hours for residents to collect their belongings, the Israeli forces prevented them from advancing and fired heavily to warn the people. Despite the fear and danger, I chose a moderately safe place to take pictures with my camera, ready to document every moment.
How I made this photo
Amid the rubble, mud and sewage, an unforgettable scene caught my attention:
An elderly man, carrying a small refrigerator on his back, moved with difficulty through the destroyed alleys. He stopped every now and then to catch his breath, then continued to walk with determination. The scene was heavy in its meaning, perhaps as heavy as the refrigerator was on his shoulders. I advanced and came to stand in the middle of the street, flooded with water and mud, and waited for the right moment to take the picture. I knew that it was not just a picture, but a testimony to a larger reality, and that it was also a more human message about the reality of forced displacement, loss, but also steadfastness.
The man in the photo is Tawfiq Shahada, 58. He had left his refrigerator with his neighbors a few days earlier, when his house was demolished. On this day, he took advantage of the two hours he was allowed to enter to carry it on his thin back through the ruins. The road was rough, full of debris and mud, but he insisted on carrying it and leaving the camp — as if it were the last thing left of his home.
When he came up to me, I was able to do a video interview with him. He spoke in a voice heavy with sadness as he told me that everything in his house had disappeared under the rubble, all the memories he had built with his family and children, ended in a single moment. He told me that when he entered his house today, he found nothing but his wallet. Everything else had been erased by Israeli bulldozers.
Why this photo works
In his eyes, he was not only carrying a refrigerator, but he was carrying the memory of a house that no longer exists and a life that he tries to continue despite everything. The photo was taken at a moment when I felt that this fridge was not just a physical object that the man was carrying but a symbol of the ongoing state of displacement, of having to carry what one could and leave everything else behind.
For me, this photo was not just a documentation of a moment, but a testimony to the suffering that people here live with on a daily basis. I wanted to tell the world this story, to show how carrying the simplest of household items becomes an act of resilience, of perseverance, of continuing to live.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Explosion at a US air base in southern Japan injures 4 Japanese soldiers
TOKYO (AP) — An explosion at a storage site for unexploded wartime ordnances at a U.S. military base on Japan's southern island of Okinawa injured four Japanese soldiers, though the injuries are not life threatening, officials said Monday. The four soldiers had injuries to their fingers while working at a facility that belongs to Okinawa prefecture to store unexploded ordnance found on the island, where one of the harshest battles of World War II was fought, local officials said. Prefectural officials said the injuries were not life threatening, but no other details were immediately known. The Self Defense Force's joint staff said they were looking into reports of an explosion at Kadena Air Base that occurred while a team of Japanese soldiers that specializes in handling unexploded ordnance was working near or at the base. The SDF said they are trying to confirm the cause of the accident and where it occurred. Hundreds of tons of unexploded wartime bombs, many of them dropped by the U.S. military, remain buried around Japan and are sometimes dug up at construction sites and elsewhere. In October, an unexploded wartime U.S. bomb exploded at a commercial airport in southern Japan, causing a large crater and suspending dozens of flights.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Explosion at a US air base in southern Japan injures 4 Japanese soldiers
TOKYO (AP) — An explosion at a storage site for unexploded wartime ordnances at a U.S. military base on Japan's southern island of Okinawa injured four Japanese soldiers, though the injuries are not life threatening, officials said Monday. The four soldiers had injuries to their fingers while working at a facility that belongs to Okinawa prefecture to store unexploded ordnance found on the island, where one of the harshest battles of World War II was fought, local officials said. Prefectural officials said the injuries were not life threatening, but no other details were immediately known. The Self Defense Force's joint staff said they were looking into reports of an explosion at Kadena Air Base that occurred while a team of Japanese soldiers that specializes in handling unexploded ordnance was working near or at the base. The SDF said they are trying to confirm the cause of the accident and where it occurred. Hundreds of tons of unexploded wartime bombs, many of them dropped by the U.S. military, remain buried around Japan and are sometimes dug up at construction sites and elsewhere.
Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Asking Eric: My oldest friend died and I want to know what happened
Dear Eric: Via complete happenstance I have recently become aware of my oldest friend's death about a year ago. Mary and I grew up across the street from one another in the '60s and '70s. I played with her and with her older brother as kids, and our families were close. She had been my friend for about 60 years. I have been desperate to learn the circumstances of her death. I have googled my brains out and followed up every lead. There are no obituaries available online, and no death notices, either. There are no newspaper articles about her death. Her attorney's secretary won't let me talk to him, citing attorney-client confidentiality, even though she is deceased, and he withdrew himself from representing her upon her death. The heir of her estate will not return my calls. I can't even nail down where she died so I can file a Freedom of Information Act request with the appropriate law enforcement agencies. I don't have a claim on her estate. I have no ulterior motive whatsoever. I just want to know what happened to my old friend. I have tried everything I know. I was hoping that you might have some ideas. – Friend in the Dark Dear Friend: You have my sympathies – it can be so difficult to learn of a friend's passing and not have the closure afforded by a service, a conversation or more information. It's possible that Mary's heir and/or her family want to keep the circumstances of her death private. It's also possible that there isn't much to know and, were you to discover it, it wouldn't give you the peace you're seeking. Some of this pursuit is probably motivated by grief. That makes sense. And it's perfectly natural to want to know more details about a loved one's death. But details won't serve you as much as finding a way to commemorate the relationship that you had and the life that she lived. Take some time to focus on her, maybe on a walk in nature or someplace that held special meaning to you both. Thank her for being a part of your life and wish her well on her journey. The 'how' of her death matters, but the details of her life and your relationship matter more and will help sustain you through your grief. Dear Eric: This is in reference to 'Worried in Wisconsin,' from a substance abuse clinician who was concerned about a niece's opioid abuse. Speaking as a physician, make sure everyone in your niece's life has and knows how to use Narcan. Only the niece can decide to pursue treatment, but anyone can provide lifesaving treatment if she overdoses. – Physician Reader Dear Physician: Narcan, a brand name for naloxone, a medication that is used to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses, is an important resource. It is available, in some cases for free and prescription-free, through some state and local agencies and community distribution programs. It comes in multiple forms including a nasal spray. Bystander training can be completed in less than an hour and is available online through organizations like the Red Cross and many states' Department of Health. While naloxone can reverse the effects of opioid overdose, per the National Institute of Drug Abuse, it is still imperative to call 911 immediately so that the individual can receive attention and continued monitoring. Dear Eric: I read the letter from 'Outside Only', who had a guest at a Fourth of July party who said it was too hot outside and spent the evening inside. I know you were answering the host, but you were not empathetic to the guest. There are some people who simply cannot handle heat. I am one of them. Outside summer heat causes me intense physical pain and discomfort and makes it very difficult to even visit with others and enjoy a party. Now that the hostess knows this is a problem, this year she could try to accommodate all of her guests by putting up seating under umbrellas, or in the shade of the house, or setting out fans in a couple of areas. How many people really enjoy being outside in the middle of the hot summer sun for hours? – Nebraska is Hot Dear Nebraska: From the letter, it sounds like the host was actually quite accommodating – no word on umbrellas as it was an evening party, but the letter writer spent the duration of the event inside with the guest even though the fireworks-viewing party was, as they tend to be, outside. However, not to put too fine a point on it, but sometimes guests have to make a decision about whether a particular party is for them. If the gathering is outside and one doesn't want to be outside, one doesn't have to go.
