During the 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas, the five-story building which housed Samir Mansour’s bookstore on the ground floor of its five-story structure was reduced to rubble in May. The 100,000 books in the shop were reduced to piles of torn paper covered with ash and dust.
“I was devastated when my shop was destroyed, but our friends and loved ones have helped me to get through it. He said that today was a new day for him.
Mansour’s bookstore opened in 2000, on a busy Gaza City block close to three universities. It was popular among students and general readers alike. Mansour was able to acquire any book that was not available in Gaza’s limited libraries. This made it unique.
Since 2007, Gaza has been subject to a strict Israel-Egyptian blockade. Importing specialized goods can be difficult.
The store was reopened with the support of generous donations. It now has more space and a wider selection.
Mansour claims that donations were mainly from British activists, who launched global fundraising campaigns and secured a larger book collection than the one destroyed.
Mansour stated, “Our British brothers have compensated us for 150,000 books.”
The books on wooden shelving were given a glossy appearance by beams of light from the ceiling. The bookstore has three stories and features children’s books, novels from local, Arab and international authors as well as business and programming guides. The new store houses a total of 400,000 books.
“Destruction didn’t hurt us. Mansour stated that destruction made us stronger, as he spoke to dozens of people who crowded into the store’s entrance during the opening ceremony.
Yara Eid was born in the same year that the store opened. The bookstore gave her a glimpse into life outside Gaza. Gazans are unable to travel internationally due to the blockade.
Eid said that the Samir Mansour bookstore is very important to her and she hopes to go to Britain to get a master’s in English literature. “Without this bookstore I wouldn’t have known about life in Gaza. We are under a blockade.
She said, “As a kid, my imagination was built out of these books, and this gave me hope that there is another world, not just wars, bloodshed, and poverty.”
