Dec. 6, 2025

Since I left Gaza in November 2023, my life has been defined by visa rejections and endless hours waiting in airport lines. I watch people behind the counters staring at my Palestinian passport with confusion, often having to “call for help” just to process it.

I’ve learned to explain the details automatically: “My name is Plestia, Rana is my mother’s name. Yes, on Palestinian passports, we include our mother’s name.” One rejection after the other; I am stuck in Gaza, I am stuck outside. Where are #Palestinians supposed to go? We are pushed out of our own land, then met with locked doors everywhere else.