In May 2021, Fady Joudah, a Palestinian American poet, reflected on the challenge of publishing poems that engage with Israeli apartheid due to the limitations of English in capturing the full Palestinian experience.

A group of artists protesting the war in Gaza carried out a covert campaign in New York City's subway system, replacing ads with posters depicting the conflict's devastation and featuring poignant messages, including a quote from a protester who self-immolated outside the Israeli embassy.

Refaat Alareer, a Gazan poet and professor, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City.

The poem reflects on themes of family, identity, and guilt in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.