For most of his life, Masoud Abu Saada imagined building a future in Gaza.
The 42-year-old mechanical engineer spent years maintaining machinery in factories across the Palestinian territory. He raised three children and envisioned a balanced, stable life centred on work and family.
Today, he lives in a tent in Deir Al Balah after Israel's relentless war with Hamas displaced him from the Jabalia refugee camp. With his home destroyed, his job lost and his children without regular schooling, he finds himself thinking about something he never seriously considered before – leaving.
“The idea of emigrating weighs heavily on my mind,” Mr Abu Saada told The National. “Every aspect of life in Gaza has become extremely difficult.”
His story reflects a sentiment among some Palestinians in the small coastal strip, where years of war, repeated displacement, economic collapse and the destruction of homes and infrastructure have taken their toll on the population.
The question of leaving, however, remains highly sensitive. Many Gazans who have considered departing the strip fear they would never be allowed to return, believing Israel's ultimate goal is to empty the territory of its Palestinian population permanently.
US President Donald Trump has previously suggested relocating Gaza's residents elsewhere until the entire strip is rebuilt. Israel has been accused of pushing Palestinians to leave not only through war, but also through years of blockade and restrictions that made normal life increasingly difficult, with many residents likening the Gaza Strip to an open-air prison.
Before the war, Mr Abu Saada worked as a mechanical engineer in several factories, but those jobs vanished when industrial activity largely collapsed. His family's home was destroyed and they have lived in tents for more than two years.
His children's education has been disrupted and employment opportunities have as good as disappeared. “When I see how people live outside Gaza and how their children grow up, I ask myself how much longer we are expected to live like this,” he said.
The issue has gained renewed attention following reports in Israeli media that Shmuel Ben Ezra, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's newly appointed national security adviser, convened a meeting last week on what Israel describes as “encouraging voluntary emigration” from Gaza.
Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly advocated the large-scale departure of Palestinians from the enclave, describing such a move in September 2025 as “the most natural thing”. Israeli media have reported that Mossad, Israel's national intelligence agency, has struggled to identify countries willing to accept large numbers of Gazans.
The Gaza war is receiving little attention from the Trump administration, which is deeply distracted by negotiations over the Iran war. The Israeli military has killed at least 1,045 Palestinians since the ceasefire with Hamas took effect last October, raising the death toll in the enclave to more than 73,000 since the war began in October 2023.
Besides the ceasefire and the exchange of hostages held by Hamas for thousands of Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons, the first phase of the Trump plan involved Israel's military withdrawing behind a “yellow line” that left it in control of a little more than half of Gaza. But Israel now controls about 64 per cent of the Palestinian territory.
Despite the destruction
Mansour Al Hindi, 39, a trader and former schoolteacher, said emigration increasingly feels like the only option left. “We find ourselves saying 'lucky are those who emigrated,'” he told The National.
Mr Al Hindi's brother and his family left Gaza early in the war after paying $18,000. Today, he says he would willingly pay even more, given the chance. “Migration is no longer simply an option, it is our one chance for survival.”
He highlighted to the destruction of housing, the collapse of economic opportunities and the absence of normal daily life because of Israel's war as reasons behind the growing desire to leave. “There is very little left that encourages people to stay,” he said.
On the other hand, many Gazans are refusing to leave. About a month ago, Mohammed Abu Zar, 28, did something that surprised many people around him. After spending nearly two years living in Egypt, he chose to return to Gaza.
“When I returned, people kept asking me why I came back,” he told The National. The answer was simple: he missed his family and he missed Gaza. Despite the destruction, he missed the sense of belonging that he said could not be recreated elsewhere. “Gaza remains more welcoming and comforting to us than anywhere else in the world,” he explained.
Mr Abu Zar acknowledges that life abroad offered better conditions, yet migration brought challenges of its own. There were financial difficulties, social isolation and psychological pressures that proved harder than he had expected. “I tried hard to adapt,” he said. “But there are things that are difficult to explain to someone who has never experienced being away from home.”
The contrasting experiences of Mr Abu Saada, Mr Al Hindi and Mr Abu Zar highlight the difficult choices many Gazans face. For some, emigration represents a chance to rebuild their lives elsewhere. For others, the emotional pull of home remains stronger than the hardships of daily life.
The debate over migration has become one of the most widely discussed subjects in Gaza. Conversations that once centred on reconstruction, employment and education increasingly focus on visas, border crossings and potential destinations abroad. Yet even for those desperate to leave, the decision is rarely simple. Most push aside the idea of abandoning Gaza, stressing that they simply want to escape a life they feel unable to endure any longer.
“True peace of mind is found close to family and loved ones,” said Mr Abu Zar.
