**Protagonist: Kareem Ashtiya**
- **Naming rationale**: A common Arabic name among Palestinians, “Kareem” means “generous,” representing the character instilled in him by his family. “Ashtiya” comes from the name of a village in northern Gaza, destroyed by Israel in 1948, hinting at his family's roots.
### **Story Outline: The Road of Sand and Blood: Kareem's Awakening** (498 words) I. A Shattered Childhood: Gaza's Olive Trees (1970s–1987)**
Kareem's family of nine crammed into a Gaza refugee camp. His father worked in an Israeli factory, while his mother made ends meet through sewing and mending. Despite their poverty, stories of their homeland told by his grandparents and fig cakes baked by his sister brought warmth to the family. In December 1987, an Israeli truck drove into the refugee camp and crushed a crowd. Kareem's grandparents, parents, and sister died on the spot. His eldest brother was shot for throwing stones at a military vehicle. In a single night, all Kareem had left was his twelve-year-old brother, Ahmad.
#### **II. The First Intifada: The Awakening of Stones (1987–1993)**
After the family tragedy, Kareem scrawled “We will never grow up” on the wall of the refugee camp school. By day, he worked to support his brother; by night, he joined a group of “stone-throwing youths.”
