On the day before the last of 2025, while we at Palestinian Tales were at the peak of our work preparing to launch the platform, the news of the death of the storyteller Hamza Al-Aqrbawi—by drowning in the Nile—hit us like a shock.
How could a storyteller who understood the value and impact of endings write such an unexpected ending to his own story? We were still waiting for many more chapters of that beautiful tale Hamza was writing as he moved between the plains, valleys, and mountains of Palestine, narrating folk stories he had heard from our grandparents. He added his own magic through his style, the movements of his body that always accompanied his storytelling, and his kind imagination—one that constantly tried to create beautiful endings, especially when his listeners were his own people, so thirsty for joy, even if only through stories.
The end of Hamza’s story was announced at the exact moment we, at Pal stories, were drawing the beginning of ours. This coincidence, written for us by fate, placed a heavy—if moral—burden on our shoulders: that we must continue from where Hamza left off.
This is not merely an announcement of the launch of a new platform called Pal stories. It is a declaration of responsibility. A declaration of the birth of a new generation of “Aqrbawis,” fully aware of the meaning of what the late writer Salman Natour once said—and what Hamza repeated in his voice:
“If we remain without memory, the hyenas will devour us.”
What we aspire to, as a young team, is for Pal stories to become the first storytelling platform in our country, and a unifying platform that narrates the stories of the Palestinian human being—scattered by geography and denied a natural life within the borders of their homeland, historical Palestine. Our focus is to tell the stories of this human being, whether they were fortunate enough to be born on the beloved land of Palestine, or destined to be born and die as refugees in exile, enduring every form of oppression and deprivation of basic human rights—yet living above all on the dream of one day setting foot on their homeland.
As we chart our path, we say clearly that we will not forget our youth who boarded the boats of exile in search of a better life, only to be swallowed by seas and oceans. Nor will we forget those who reached safety and built better lives for themselves, while Palestine remained for them, always, the compass and the dream.
The platform’s sections will vary—from Pal stories to stories of the land, Pal reel, Environmental Tales, Feminist stories,, share your story, Pal Pens, and other “stories” we will share mainly through written storytelling. We believe deeply in the power of the written word, in its ability to document and preserve history. In some sections, we will also give space to photographers to tell stories through their powerful lenses.
And because women are the makers of hope, we have dedicated, within Pal stories, a section that tells the stories of our women—those who survived death in Gaza, those searching for life in the West Bank, those fighting to assert their identity in the occupied 48 land, and those who have carried “Palestine” as a necklace on their chests and as an embroidery stitch in their dresses since they were forcibly expelled from our homes in 1948.
We have also dedicated an Environmental Tales section, which will narrate the geographical and historical story of Palestine, including its depopulated villages. Forgive us if this section, in particular, breaks the rule by combining pen and camera—there are those who long to see even the stones of the villages from which they were expelled.
As we carve this path, we did not forget that this “crazy” idea was born from the imagination of the people themselves. That is why it was essential to dedicate a space that allows them to share their stories with us and publish them on our website under share your story, and another section titled Palp pens for everyone who wishes to share their stories, articles, and creative writing with us.
We are a small youth team, the majority of whom are women. We believed in the importance of having our own Palestinian narrative and discourse—one that we tell the world with love and hope, believing that Palestine and its people deserve better. For this reason, we placed an additional responsibility upon ourselves: to have the platform translated into English from the moment of its launch.
We started from zero, voluntarily, without funding from any entity, and without affiliation to any political or social party. We dream big, and we seek only to tell stories about our country and from our country to the world—stories of pain and hope together. All we ask is your support and your contribution through publishing and sharing the story, because Palestine deserves so much from us.