ALPHARETTA, Ga. — For Ghassan Al Regib and Hani Al Shawa, the images of Gaza on TV screens do not accurately portray the place they remember.

In their memories, the city is a coastal paradise filled with friends and family.

“You know as a kid, you focus on the fun part,” Al Regib said. “I remember going up on the roof of my father’s house just to see how high the waves were.”

“We couldn’t wait until the last day of school because we knew, the following week, we were going to visit Gaza,” Al Shawa said.

Al Shawa’s ancestor was the first Mayor of Gaza in the early 1900s.

Although he grew up in America, he would visit his aunts, uncles, and cousins every summer.

“We have fond memories of being on the beach playing in the sand as kids,” he said.

However, over the past decades, they have watched a cycle of violence and wars.

“It was a much more peaceful time than we are witnessing now,” Al Regib said.

On Oct. 7, Hamas conducted a surprise attack on Israeli civilians. More than a thousand Israelis were killed or kidnapped.

“We can’t minimize the loss of civilian life,” Al Shawa said.

“At the same time, all the flashbacks of the previous war came back. Like oh boy, there will be another war,” Al Regib said.

The cost of the war on their friends and family has been drastic. Al Shawa says more than 100 members of his extended family have been killed since the conflict began.

“About 17 members were in an area where they were asked to leave, and a bomb was dropped on them as they were leaving,” Al Shawa said. “When your family feels there is no safety in an entire region—that’s a problem.”

Both Georgia residents say their entire families have been displaced. When they can talk to family members, just finding a place with a roof can be seen as a luxury.

“[My cousin] was so thankful that she had not a tent but a garage where her kids could sleep,” Al Regib said.

The UN estimates the war has displaced approximately 85 percent of Gazans.

Both men want a ceasefire. However, they believe change is needed to have a lasting peace.

“Peace will never occur unless both sides can live safely. And most importantly, with respect and dignity,” Al Shawa said.

WSB-TV’s Michael Doudna contributed to this story

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