Keys to lost homes in Gaza become latest symbol of Palestinian displacement

Palestinians displaced by Israel’s military offensive on Gaza are holding onto keys to damaged or destroyed homes as a symbol of their loss, a tradition dating back to the mass displacement of 1948.
Most people in Gaza are refugees or descendants of refugees who fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel’s creation, an event known to Palestinians as the “Nakba”, or catastrophe.
The keys to homes lost in 1948 have been handed down the generations of some refugee families, a symbol of what they consider their right to return – one of the most intractable issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Now, keys to homes bombarded in the Israel-Hamas war raging since October are also taking on a symbolic meaning.