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Middle East Eye
15-05-2025
- General
- Middle East Eye
From feast to survival: The ‘fake' makloubeh and fattah of a starving Gaza
Beside a makeshift firewood stove, in a classroom that has served as their home for the past year, Um Kamal Ubeid gently feeds her one-year-old grandson, Kareem. The dish is simple: bread soaked in tea, but for Palestinians in Gaza, it has become a lifeline amid extreme scarcity. Known locally as tea fattah, the modest meal is long associated with Gaza's darkest times, like Israeli offensives and prolonged blockades. Now, with rice, grains and tinned food all exhausted under an ongoing total Israeli siege, it is all the Ubeid family have left to survive on. 'I don't exactly remember the first time I had tea fattah, but I was around 14 during the early years of the blockade and the 2008–2009 war,' said Kareem's father, Kamal Ubeid, 32, speaking to Middle East Eye. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'Back then, we had nothing to eat, so we survived on tea and the dry bits of bread we could find.' Kamal recalls how his mother would prepare it for him and his siblings, especially when they cried from hunger. 'Even today, she still makes it, for us and my children,' he said. 'These days, we rely on it more than ever, since we've run out of tinned food. It's either tea fattah or manakish.' Kamal Ubeid, 32, makes tea in his shelter in Gaza City (MEE/Mohammed al-Hajjar) Since the beginning of its war on Gaza, Israel has sealed the strip's borders and severely restricted the entry of goods, food, medicine, and fuel. But on 2 March, it imposed a total blockade, completely blocking the entry of all life-saving supplies, including food, water and international aid. At the same time, Israeli forces have routinely opened fire on Palestinian fishermen and farmers trying to access what remains of the strip's devastated food sources, killing and wounding dozens. Gaza's population of approximately 2.3 million has been plunged into what the UN and humanitarian organisations have described as a 'man-made' famine, one that has already claimed the lives of scores of civilians, particularly children and the elderly. Wartime meals Um Kamal is no stranger to announcements of Israeli blockades. Whenever she hears that one is imminent, she begins stockpiling essentials - tinned goods, grains, wheat flour - and, most importantly, large quantities of tea. 'In normal times, we love tea so much that we drink it day and night. But during times of scarcity, it becomes a source of nourishment when we're hungry, a comfort when we're anxious, and even a substitute for coffee when we struggle with withdrawal,' Um Kamal Ubeid told MEE. 'During the blockade on northern Gaza in the first year of this war, we used to boil tea seven or eight times a day. We had nothing else to eat or drink' - Um Kamal Ubeid 'During the blockade on northern Gaza in the first year of this war, we used to boil tea seven or eight times a day. We had nothing else to eat or drink,' she recalled. 'When it was dark and the bombs shook the city, we would gather around the firewood, drink tea, and make tea fattah for our children to distract ourselves.' Now, as supplies dwindled again, milk and baby formula were among the first essentials to vanish, particularly after the UN and other aid agencies announced they were suspending distributions due to depleted warehouses. Without infant nutrition, families began feeding their toddlers tea fattah. 'This child is only one year old, a crucial stage of development, and he needs vitamin-enriched milk to grow properly, especially when there's no meat, vegetables, or fruit available,' said Um Kamal. 'Yet, we feed him tea with bread. We know it's harmful for a child this age to consume tea or any caffeine, but when he cries out in hunger, you're left with impossible choices, either let him starve, or try to keep him alive, even if it affects his health.' Um Kamal Ubeid knows that feeding her grandchild tea isn't healthy, but she has no other option (MEE/Mohammed al-Hajjar) According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), around 2.1 million people across the Gaza Strip are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity between May and September. This includes nearly 469,500 people expected to experience catastrophic food insecurity. The current outlook marks a stark deterioration compared to the IPC analysis in October 2024, signalling a dramatic escalation in what is already one of the world's most severe food and nutrition crises. As of April, over 65,000 children in Gaza had been hospitalised with acute malnutrition, out of an estimated 1.1 million who face hunger daily, according to the Gaza-based Government Media Office. 'Fake' dishes For Um Muhammed Nashwan, tea fattah is not just a way to feed her children. It substitutes for the original Gazan fattah, a beloved dish traditionally made with bread soaked in meat or chicken broth and served with generous portions of meat and white rice. 'Our children are longing for just one proper meal, something that smells and tastes familiar' - Um Muhammed Nashwan, Palestinian mother It is typically prepared on Fridays, when families come together at home to mark the start of the weekend. 'Although there is a huge difference between the two, I often make tea fattah for my children when they ask for the traditional fattah, but I only have water and bread to work with,' she told MEE. At other times, she simply boils water, adds a pinch of salt and pepper, soaks bread in it, and serves it to her children. 'Before the war, we used to make fattah every Friday, and the key ingredient was always meat. But we haven't seen meat in months, so we've had to improvise, recreating our familiar Gazan dishes with whatever we can find,' Nashwan explained. 'This dish is called 'fake fattah'. In fact, we call any dish we make without its main ingredients 'fake',' she said with a laugh. Another staple Friday meal is makloubeh, a dish whose name means "upside-down" in Arabic, referring to the way it is prepared and served by flipping it out of the pot. It typically features layers of rice, meat (such as lamb, chicken, or beef), and vegetables like aubergine, cauliflower, and potatoes. In the absence of meat, the traditional Gazan fattah is turned into a bread soaked in tea meal for children (MEE/Mohammed al-Hajjar) Even under siege and bombardment, some families have continued this Friday tradition, relying on whatever ingredients remain. 'During the war, we had none of makloubeh's main ingredients except rice and peppers,' Nashwan explained. 'So we made what we call 'fake makloubeh' - made without the essential meat and vegetables.' When Israel briefly and partially lifted the blockade during the January ceasefire, limited quantities of meat and vegetables were allowed in, among other goods. It was then that Nashwan decided to prepare a proper makloubeh for her family - the first in nearly a year. 'My youngest son, who's seven, asked me what I was cooking. When I told him it was makloubeh, he frowned and said, 'I hope it's not fake this time.' 'It might sound funny, but it's painful. Our children are longing for just one proper meal, something that smells and tastes familiar."
Toronto Sun
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Palestinians speak out on Hamas rule, say Gaza's held hostage by terror group
"Hamas did not, over the course of its rule, benefit Palestinians at all," Kareem, a lawyer living in Gaza, told the Toronto Sun Destroyed buildings in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, on May 9, 2024 Photo by Bryan Passifiume / Toronto Sun OTTAWA — Hamas did more than just kidnap Israelis on Oct. 7, they're also holding over 2 million Gazans hostage. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account That's the message everyday Palestinians are working hard to spread, thanks to testimonies from a small number of brave Gazans tired of living under Hamas' brutal rule. '(Israeli PM Benjamin) Netanyahu said if Hamas leaves, they would stop the war — but (Hamas) doesn't care,' said Kareem, a Palestinian lawyer, told the Toronto Sun in an interview this week. 'They want to survive on our blood and our bodies, and they only care about their interests and the interests of their relatives.' Kareem, who spoke on condition his last name not be used, is among the growing number of Gaza residents speaking out against Hamas — who see the terror group and de facto ruler of Gaza as a means of oppression, and not the liberation organization far-left activists and several media outlets paint them to be. '(Hamas) was a political movement that had secular supporters, but during the war, that declined dramatically — to the extent that people in Gaza cannot even accept Hamas as a political movement,' he said. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We don't want Hamas in Gaza at all.' Established nearly four decades ago, Hamas defeated the ruling Fatah party in the 2006 parliamentary elections. The terror group took complete control a year later in a series of bloody clashes, prompting Egypt to close its borders with Gaza, cutting off the only access to the outside Arab world. Recommended video 'Hamas did not, over the course of its rule, benefit Palestinians at all,' Kareem said. Support for Palestinians here in Canada is dominated by far-left and/or anti-Israel activists who publicly glorify Hamas and call for Israel's destruction. Those people, Kareem said, have the blood of innocent Palestinians on their hands. 'This protest movement in the West is counter-productive, they're not helping the Palestinian people,' he said. 'They are emboldening the oppressors of the Palestinian people.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. These activists, along with well-meaning Canadians, are falling victim to misinformation spread by Hamas-friendly media outlets, said Kareem, who added: 'Many in the West are fooled by the propaganda machine carried primarily by al Jazeera, the only media that can work freely inside Gaza.' He noted that while Al Jazeera portrays Hamas as a liberation movement, it never highlights the suffering Palestinians endure as a result of the group's rule. Western news agencies are also complicit, with numerous news wires and Canadian media outlets unapologetically parroting information released by the Hamas-controlled 'Gaza health ministry.' Those who dare speak out, Kareem said, face harassment, torture and even death. 'They would be kidnapped, tortured, blackmailed, accused of being Mossad agents, in many cases they've broken legs of people, and kill and execute people publicly,' he said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'This is what it means to be against Hamas in Gaza.' Everyday Palestinians, he said, won't be free until Hamas is eliminated. 'We and the Israelis, we think the same — if Hamas stays in power, in two years they'll be able to rebuild themselves and carry on similar to what they did on Oct. 7,' Kareem said. 'In Gaza we have two occupations — Israel and Hamas. Hamas didn't only take Israeli hostages, they also took two 2 million Gazans. We're suffering on a daily basis, we are going through starvation, and nobody's paying attention to our misery. 'We are starving, we are dying, we are even going in the streets to protest Hamas — even though this will endanger our life.' bpassifiume@ X: @bryanpassifiume Read More Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists Editorial Cartoons World Wrestling
New York Times
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Museum Acts as Casio's Own Memory Lane
Say the name Casio, and people will usually have a story to tell — often a memory involving a first watch or a synthesizer that they played with while growing up. It was 1986 when Haider Kareem, a Casio watch collector who posts on Instagram as vintagecasios, got his first Casio: a W50U World Time. 'I was fascinated by its ability to track different time zones, and to this day, I still have it,' said Mr. Kareem, who lives in the English county of Oxfordshire. 'That watch sparked a lifelong appreciation for Casio's innovation and practicality.' Today, he owns more than 300 Casios. There is a place in Tokyo where fans can take a trip down Casio's own memory lane: the Toshio Kashio Memorial Museum of Invention, a Western-style house filled with inventions by the Kashio brothers, the founders of the company. (Mr. Kareem said the museum was on his itinerary for a trip to Tokyo in May; he missed it during a previous one because he didn't realize that reservations were required, even though entry was free of charge.) Akira Watanabe, who works in corporate communications at Casio Computer Co., gave the reporter a tour of the museum. Credit... Andrew Faulk for The New York Times On a recent wintry day, I headed to the museum, which stands in the affluent Seijo neighborhood of western Tokyo. Although I have lived in the same general area for several years, I had no idea the museum existed: There are some small signs that I had overlooked and the two-level concrete house sits well back from the street, surrounded by a large garden that is now a public park. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Zawya
27-01-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Wealth Holding launches Once Mall in New Cairo, targets $55mln in sales
Egypt - Wealth Holding has unveiled its new project, Once Mall, located in the Andalus area of New Cairo's Fifth Settlement. Positioned along the Mohamed Naguib Axis, Once Mall is designed to serve as a comprehensive investment hub, offering a mix of commercial, administrative, and medical clinic units to meet the diverse needs of investors. Soheir Kareem, Chairperson of Wealth Holding, revealed that the company aims to achieve sales of EGP 2.8bn from the project, which is slated for delivery within two and a half years. Kareem also highlighted that flexible payment plans have been introduced to cater to the varied preferences of customers. A standout feature of Once Mall is its introduction of a new commercial real estate product called Pretica, aimed at supporting young manufacturers and entrepreneurs. The offering includes fully finished commercial spaces starting at 6 square meters, with very flexible pricing and a 5-year installment plan. Additionally, Wealth Holding has launched an innovative administrative real estate concept, Capsules—standalone, fully finished administrative offices with a net area of 6 square meters. These units are complemented by essential services, including meeting rooms and cafés, making them ideal for modern businesses. Kareem emphasized that the location of Once Mall has been carefully selected in one of Fifth Settlement's most strategic areas, ensuring the project remains in close proximity to major landmarks and attractions. This prime positioning is expected to drive high demand for units and make it a top choice for investors. The architectural design of Once Mall was entrusted to FRS Architectural Office, led by Emad Riyad Fahim. Dina Helal, Managing Director of Wealth Holding, explained that a comprehensive market study was conducted to understand the specific demands of real estate investors. The mall's location near key universities, schools, and hospitals ensures strong operational performance, with consistent demand throughout the year. Helal further emphasized that being situated in a densely populated area not only saves time and effort for investors but also significantly boosts the long-term market value of the project. © 2024 Daily News Egypt. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
