GAZA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Inside a modest tent in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, Mohammed Saad sits surrounded by thousands of books that survived the war.

He picks up a book, gently wipes the dust from its cover, and flips through its pages before placing it among rows of novels, historical works, scientific publications and philosophical books.

For Saad, 58, this is more than sorting books. It is an attempt to bring back to life a part of his world that he thought had been buried beneath the rubble.

A father of five, Saad spent 35 years collecting books. Before the war, he owned between 80,000 and 100,000 books in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, some of which he sold in front of the Islamic University in Gaza City.

When his home and warehouse were destroyed during the Israeli war on Gaza, he believed his entire collection was gone.

About three months ago, he returned to his ruined home and began searching through the debris.

"I didn't care about my house or my personal belongings," Saad told Xinhua. "The first thing I started searching for among the rubble was my books and my library."

For weeks, with help from neighbors, he recovered more than 30,000 books and transported them to Deir al-Balah.

"I couldn't believe I had saved so many books," he said. "I truly cried. For me, they are not just books; they represent life, history and happiness."

After the books arrived in Deir al-Balah, Saad refused to keep them stacked away, safe from damage but out of readers' reach.

Instead, he established "al-Athar Library," Arabic for "the Impact," a modest space where people can read, buy, or borrow books.

"I'm not looking for money or material gain," Saad said as he continued dusting and arranging the books. "All I want is for these books to reach people so they can read, learn and benefit from them."

The library still lacks a proper building, adequate shelves, and suitable storage facilities. Yet readers have begun to arrive.

"Women and children are among the most interested visitors, particularly those looking for novels and stories, while young people often seek cultural, historical and educational books," Saad said.

For many, the library offers more than books. It is a rare escape from a daily reality of displacement, destruction, and uncertainty.

Among its regular visitors is 25-year-old Mohammed al-Deeb, who comes to browse and buy books, particularly works by Arab authors.

"For me, reading has become a refuge, especially during the long periods of internet and electricity outages," al-Deeb told Xinhua.

Sometimes he takes novels back to his tent and reads them with his family. "Reading has become one of the few things we can do together under these circumstances," he said. "We need things to remind us that our lives aren't just about war."

Ibrahim Abu Amsha, 30, also visits the library from time to time. He sees the library as a small but vital revival of Gaza's cultural life, which has sharply declined during the war.

His interests include novels, Palestinian history and children's books. But displacement, the destruction of libraries and the shrinking of cultural spaces have made finding books increasingly difficult.

"Before the war, accessing books was easy, and libraries were located in various areas," Abu Amsha said. "Now, finding a book you like requires effort."

"The war took many things from us, but it shouldn't take reading from us too," he added, expressing hope that the library would continue to grow and expand.

The establishment of the library comes as Gaza's cultural infrastructure has suffered extensive damage since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023.

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the Gaza Strip had 87 public libraries and library institutions before the war, all of which have suffered total or partial damage during the conflict.

Against this backdrop, Saad sees every recovered book as more than a salvaged object. To him, the books preserve fragments of a collective memory that war cannot be allowed to erase.

"The war destroyed many things, but we must bring books back to life and bring children back to culture, science and school," he said. "If there is no science and culture, we will collapse."