On Our Virtual Route 99 This Week: A Taste of Hope

When our team launched Esparenza, it was with a sense of hope.     We are proud to present this from Gaza on a "Taste of Hope" as the fragile peace continues to hold, courtesy of the team at the National of the UAE:

Taste of hope

A coffee server at Abu Al Soud sweet shop in Gaza city. The shop serves free coffee to customers. Photo: Abu Al-Soud

After a two-year absence, the scent of syrup and roasted nuts is drifting through Gaza city’s streets once more.

A popular sweet shop that was burnt and destroyed by the Israeli military is up and running again – a small act of revival in a city still surrounded by rubble. For decades, Abu Al Soud has been renowned as a symbol of the enclave’s culture and flavours. Khaled Abu Ouda, who has worked at the sweet shop for more than 15 years, smiled as he spoke of its return.

“We’ve finally returned to work to offer people the sweets they’ve loved for generations,” he told The National.

He said reopening the shop was not just about selling desserts but restoring a cherished part of Gaza’s soul. “We’re trying to bring back the old days, to remind people of the beautiful past they lived here,” he added.

When Abu Al Soud reopened, the response was overwhelming. Ragheb Abu Hwaishal, 27, was among the first customers to walk in. “The reopening of Abu Al Soud gave me hope that Gaza can live again,” he said. "It was a message that we can still find happiness."