Abu Zuhair Pastries – Gaza’s Old City
In the Old City of Gaza, near the Omari Mosque,
Ismail Qassem Abu Zuhair runs Abu Zuhair Pastries.
His bakery has never been just a place to buy food;
it is a part of the city’s memory and spirit.
Abu Zuhair describes his bakery:
“This place isn’t just about food… it’s about spirit and memory.”
During the war of genocide, his home was targeted, and his son was killed.
Soon after, his bakery and factory were bombed and destroyed.
He was displaced more than twenty times across Gaza,
and both he and his wife were injured during a long and difficult journey.
Despite all this, Abu Zuhair never gave up.
He moved from a fully equipped factory to manual work with the bare minimum,
trying to preserve a simple ritual that once brought people together:
a hot za’atar flatbread and a cup of tea.
He adds:
“I’m trying to bring the spirit back to the people of Gaza… even if all I have are my bare hands.”
Today, Abu Zuhair lives in a tent,
yet he continues to bake with his own hands,
believing that what was destroyed can be rebuilt —
just as Gaza continues to rise, time and again.
