Vancouver Palestinian community reacts to Gaza war anniversary [Video]

Monday was a solemn and emotional day for Israelis and Palestinians. The Oct. 7, 2023, attack saw more than 1,200 Israelis killed and has since left more than 41,000 dead in Gaza.

Sobhi Al-Zobaidi owns Tamam, a Palestinian restaurant in Vancouver.

The restaurant is filled with messages of solidarity for the Palestinian community, including art and kites with written words of hope for the children in Gaza.

“One of the things that kept us going and gave us hope and energy is the way the larger community has responded”, says Al-Zobaidi.

He says in past years it was rare for Palestinians in Vancouver to meet with one another or connect, but the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has changed that.

“There is a sense of empowerment and a sense of the need, urgency to organize, and to get in touch with each other,” he says.

Al-Zobaidi spent his childhood in a refugee camp near Ramallah. He says his eatery has faced …