My son asks me what will be left when we return to Gaza. The answer? Only rubble and memories | Ghada Ageel

My cousin used to call her home in Khan Younis paradise on Earth'. Now that paradise has been lost

Each Palestinian home has two hearths: the space where the family eats and the kitchen, where the food is prepared. These rooms are where the fires of life and hospitality burn most brightly.

When I visit Khan Younis, one of the popular family meals we enjoy together is maghluba (upside down" in Arabic): a large, savoury cake of rice, vegetables and chicken cooked in a large pot. When the meal is ready, the pot is turned upside down and the family gather around to await the unveiling, when the pot is lifted off to display the yellow rice, red tomatoes and deep brown aubergines. Every dish of maghluba is a family celebration.

Ghada Ageel, a third-generation Palestinian refugee, worked as a translator for the Guardian in Gaza from 2000 to 2006. She is currently visiting professor at the department of political science at the University of Alberta