Photo credit: MEM
In the new episode of PalCast, “The Last Times I Didn’t Know Were The Last,” hosts Yousef and Tony spoke with Tarek Al-Farra, a Palestinian digital storyteller and humanitarian activist from Khan Younis who was evacuated to Italy on a scholarship. Tarek recounted his life in Gaza before October 7, his family’s struggle to survive displacement and months in tent camps, and his efforts to document the genocide through social media. He also reflected on the challenges of rebuilding his life in Italy after years of bombardment, loss, and uncertainty.
Before October 7, Tarek described Gaza as a “five-star prison,” where the siege restricted movement, electricity, and internet access. Although he had studied English and translation at Al-Aqsa University and hoped to work as a freelancer, unreliable infrastructure limited his opportunities. Previous military escalations had taught people to expect periods of bombardment followed by a return to daily life, but the events of October 2023 quickly proved different.
Tarek described the bombing of hospitals and other civilian spaces as part of an escalating pattern of violence, arguing that the absence of meaningful international consequences allowed further atrocities to follow. On December 5, his family was forced to flee Khan Younis after their neighbourhood came under intense bombardment. The family expected to return after a week, but instead spent six months living in tents.
During those months, Tarek documented daily life in Gaza through videos in English, beginning in March 2024. His accounts of the harsh conditions in the tent camps reached international audiences who wanted to hear directly from Palestinians living through the genocide. He described the struggle to secure water, prepare food, and cope with extreme temperatures, while also recalling the solidarity that helped displaced families survive.
Neighbours shared resources, and one woman baked bread for an entire camp without charging anyone. When Tarek later returned to Khan Younis with his father and brother, they found a city devastated by destruction, with homes reduced to rubble and bodies left in the streets. Eventually, after completing his degree online under bombardment and securing a scholarship in Italy, Tarek left Gaza with his brother.
Although their arrival brought relief and a warm welcome from volunteers, he struggled with depression and the pressure to resume his studies without adequate psychological support. He argued that evacuated students needed sustained mental health care and understanding from universities, given the conditions under which they had been forced to study and live.
Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to hear Tarek’s account of survival, displacement, storytelling, and the challenges facing Palestinian students evacuated from Gaza, and share the episode with others to help bring these experiences and the need for meaningful support to a wider audience!