Zana from Auja Al-Hafir near Beersheba
Zana is a refugee living in Nuseirat Refugee Camp, Gaza. She was 12 years old when she and her mother and brothers were forced under gunfire by an Israeli militia to flee from their village, which was located near the ancient road junction and water wells in the Naqab desert south of Beer Assabe’ called Beersheba today. She remembers fleeing her village with her mother and brothers and heading towards the sea without her father because he had to go back and find her sister. The militia stole their sheep and killed eight men. They walked two days to get to Khan Yunis. Auja Al-Hafir has always been used for military purposes. During the British Mandate, it was a prison camp for Palestinian prisoners. In 1948, the Egyptians used it as a military base. Israel occupies the land today and uses it as military base as well. The pattern of Zana’s dress reflects the Bedouin use of bright colored squares and dark blue embroidery on black. Price: $35