May has always been a month marked by tragedy, anger, tension, and revolution for Palestinians since we were expelled from our lands on May 15th, 1948. This year has sadly been no different, as we still struggle the process the events of May a year ago.

Neuroscientists say memories endure when there is a strong emotion attached to it. After witnessing 264 savage hours of the carpet-bombing of Gaza, it seems impossible to break free from this brain-structured prison.

On Friday morning, as the dust settled and a sense of calm blanketed the streets of Gaza City, which just hours prior were filled with thousands of people celebrating the ceasefire, Mahmoud al-Qawlaq mustered the courage to return to his neighborhood. “When I stand here and look at what’s in front of me, all I see is loss,” al-Qawlaq tells Mondoweiss. “The loss of my family members, my loved ones, my home, and the loss of my dreams.”

It is not a coincidence that Israel decided to remind us of its original sin, namely, the Nakba, by celebrating its “independence” in Sheikh Jarrah and Gaza. By committing the Wehda Street massacre, it has taken the so-called “conflict” to its origin.