A Gazan man who could escape the war thanks to his Polish citizenship has instead chosen to stay in his damaged home in Khan Younis, framing his decision as part of a historic struggle for Palestinian rights in their homeland, Reuters reports.

Abdul Raouf al-Farra’s name was on a list of people authorised to leave the bombarded Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing to Egypt, but said his emotional bond to Gaza as a place, a people and a cause prevented him from leaving.

“My soul is attached to this homeland. This homeland is where I grew up, where I was born,” he said. “This is my country and they (the Israelis) have no option but to leave our land,” he said.

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