# 148: Dispatch From Gaza, with Ahmed Sarsour Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeMyHufeM9Y Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/YeMyHufeM9Y Generated: 2025-10-05T22:01:08.304+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Palestinian Sudani poet Ahmed Sarsour provided a firsthand account from Deir al-Balah in Gaza, detailing the severe humanitarian crisis, the recent death of his aunt, the difficulty of obtaining electricity and clean water, and the economic distortion where essential goods like sugar reached $100 per kilogram during the siege, while expressing fatigue with the conflict and a desire for the war to end so Palestinians can regroup and rebuild. **Key Points:** - Ahmed Sarsour, currently in Deir al-Balah (Dalah), Gaza, reported that his aunt passed away at 79 after suffering from illness exacerbated by the collapse of the medical system, noting she had witnessed the Nakba. - Sarsour and his family are physically located in Dalah, less than 2 kilometers from the Israeli border, and their neighborhood has experienced proximate violence, including the bombing of a nearby water-selling house and local mosque. - The guest expressed feeling guilty about his relative fortune (having a house and sheltering 20 families) while noting that economic disparities cause envy, citing that some people still have electricity while his family has not since October 7th. - The economic situation is highly distorted, with rumors suggesting collaborators inflate prices; during a six-month period when borders were tight, 1kg of sugar reached $100, and withdrawing $1,000 in cash resulted in receiving only $667 due to high fees (35% to 50%). - Sarsour detailed severe food scarcity, noting his family survived for months on two meals a day, often just rice and salad, and went without meat, chicken, or eggs for eight months, though conditions are slightly improving as prices drop. - Regarding the conflict, Sarsour stated that 'resistance is the resistance,' clarifying it is broader than just Hamas, and expressed personal fatigue, believing that given the massive destruction, Palestinians would now accept almost any terms to end the war, regroup, and begin the 5 to 50 years of rebuilding. - Sarsour, who taught himself English primarily through watching movies and series, uses poetry as an outlet for expression and to educate himself and others about Palestinian history, integrating learned information into his work. **Context:** The podcast "Bad Hasbara" hosted by Matt Lee and Daniel Mate features a special dispatch from Gaza with Ahmed Sarsour, a Palestinian Sudani poet who recently returned to Gaza from Khartoum, Sudan, after fleeing the Sudanese civil war that began in April 2023. The hosts, acknowledging their sheltered position, sought to understand Sarsour's reality on the ground in Dalah, where he has been since June 2023, just months before the October 7th escalation of conflict. ## Detailed Analysis Ahmed Sarsour described his current reality in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, highlighting personal tragedy—the death of his 79-year-old aunt, whose care was compromised by the failing medical infrastructure—and the general scarcity of resources. He confirmed his location is very close to the Israeli border (less than 2 km) and that his neighborhood has seen direct impacts from shelling. Sarsour revealed intense economic hardship, detailing how during peak siege conditions, basic goods saw hyperinflation, such as sugar costing $100 per kilogram, and how attempting to access cash resulted in massive deductions, where $1,000 sent from abroad yielded only $667. He expressed survivor's guilt but also noted internal societal stress caused by visible resource hoarding by alleged collaborators, which fuels distrust. Sarsour shared that his family, though formerly comfortable, relied on aid kitchens and drastically rationed food, often eating only one or two meals of rice and salad daily for months, going eight months without meat or eggs. Addressing the conflict, Sarsour emphasized that Palestinian 'resistance' is not monolithic (not just Hamas) and expressed profound weariness, suggesting that due to the immense cost in lives and infrastructure, many would accept an end to the fighting now to regroup and focus on the inevitable long-term rebuilding process. Finally, Sarsour discussed his personal outlet as a self-taught poet, explaining how his art evolved from personal expression to incorporating historical education about Palestine. ### Guest Background and Location - Ahmed Sarsour is a Palestinian Sudani poet who evacuated Sudan's civil war in May 2023, arriving in Gaza shortly before October 7th - He is currently located in Deir al-Balah (Dalah), which he stated is less than 2 kilometers from the Israeli border. ### Humanitarian and Personal Hardship - Sarsour detailed his aunt's death due to compromised medical care and the constant threat of violence, noting a nearby house selling water was bombed on October 10th or 11th. ### Socio-Economic Collapse - The economy is crippled by price gouging, with sugar reaching $100/kg; accessing transferred funds is difficult, with cash withdrawals incurring 35% to 50% fees, evidenced by $1,000 becoming $667. ### Resource Scarcity and Diet - The family rationed to two meals daily for months, surviving on rice and salad, having forgotten the taste of meat and eggs for eight months; current aid is often tasteless canned food, though prices are beginning to drop slightly. ### Internal Dynamics and Guilt - Sarsour feels guilty for having shelter but noted that visible wealth disparity among Gazans, often linked to alleged collaboration, breeds envy and suspicion. ### Views on Conflict and Future - Sarsour clarified that resistance is broader than Hamas and expressed that after losing so much, people are weary and would likely accept a peace deal now just to stop the killing and start the multi-decade rebuilding effort. ### Artistic Expression - As a self-taught English speaker who learned from media, Sarsour uses poetry both as an emotional release and as a vehicle for historical education about Palestine.