Give our Families in Gaza the Gift of Relief

Hello, we are Salam, a Software Engineer and master’s student working in Italy, and Abdelrahman, a master’s student in Hungary.

We haven’t known each other for long. We have met just recently. Fate had it that our paths would cross due to the ongoing war in Gaza. We shared a common concern for our families in Gaza during the war. Let me tell you how we got in touch. Our sisters are actually sisters-in-law (they are married to two people who are brothers). Due to the difficulty and so many times lack of communication, it has become the responsibility of each one of us who manages to get in touch with their family to make sure that the other family is alive. It’s been like this since we got in touch. We reassure each other about the well-being of our families. We can never forget, though, the many times when we both lost connection with our families because there was no internet and phone service. This happened several times, and each time it lasted for about 5 to 10 days. Can you imagine that? Knowing nothing about your loved ones during such a brutal war. And actually not knowing if they are alive or not. You keep thinking of different scenarios, each leaving you helpless and burst into tears!

After much thinking, we made the difficult decision of initiating this fundraising campaign. We tried to help a lot, financially and emotionally, but what they’re going through is beyond our ability to compensate for them. It's been heartbreaking as we've desperately searched for alternative ways to help. We wish to evacuate our families from Gaza, the city that has become good for nothing!

We, with heavy hearts, are writing to you asking for your help to give our families a chance to survive. We are pleading for your support to help us cover the necessary fees required to evacuate them from Gaza to Egypt and start a new chapter. Your help will not only facilitate their safe passage but also secure a place of refuge for them and regrow hope inside each member of them. We are begging you to consider our families’ plight. They are innocent people who have been caught up in a conflict that is not of their making.

We will evacuate them through an Egyptian travel agency called Ya Hala. Now this agency is actually the only way they can get out of Gaza. Ya Hala requires $ 5000 for and adult and $ 2500 for a child. The total amount required to evacuate both families to Egypt is as follows:

* Salam's family (7 adults and 4 children) will cost $ 45000

* Abdulrahaan's family (6 adults and 2 children) will cost $ 35000

* An extra amount of about $ 3000 will go as fees to Gofundme and transfer charges to Gaza.

Now, we will tell you about our families, introducing you to some of its members and sharing the story of each individual. We would appreciate it if you could take some time to read about them, as they mean a lot to us. Each one of them has their own hopes and aspirations, not merely a statistic or a name waiting to be added to the list of martyrs.

Our families are witnessing very harsh and difficult days due to the conflict in Gaza. We are filled with deep concern for the safety and well-being of each individual. This is the first time we've been separated from them in such circumstances, and we feel a profound responsibility to help them find a safe haven away from death.

It's hard to put their hardships into words. They were forced to leave their homes and move further south, following orders of the Israeli Occupation . Now, they're living outdoors in tents on a piece of land. They face the scorching sun during the day and the freezing evening air, with very few blankets to keep warm. It's a tough situation for them.

The area where they live now is said to be evacuated for land invasion next, which means that our families will literally have no other possible solution. They are living in a constant state of not knowing what will happen. Not only that, but they recently got the heartbreaking news that our homes were bombed and completely destroyed. We lost everything, all our belongings, and all those precious memories we held there. It's an incredibly painful loss for us. As you can see, only the door is what remains from (Alhayek’s) home which is in Tal Al-Hawa, the neighborhood where Al-Quds Hospital is located.

Salam:

“My family means everything to me, each with their own story and dreams.

In the middle of our family is my loving mother, a source of strength and care. We lost our father after the 50-day war in Gaza in 2014. She has been our rock since then. She's a dedicated school principal who deeply cares for her students. She worked hard for years to finally be able to renovate our 23-year-old apartment just 6 months before the war. Sadly, the war damaged my mom's dream, our cherished safe haven.

My oldest brother, Khalil, became our source of support after our dad passed away. With his loving wife and two energetic sons, Nabil and Omar, Khalil has always been there for us. His steady commitment keeps us grounded, no matter the challenges we face. However, he endured great losses during this war. His apartment was bombed and fire broke out leaving every single piece in his home completely destroyed.

My older sister, Doaa, taught in Oman for six rewarding years. She came back home excited about her upcoming wedding. She got engaged just before her visit to Gaza. But the war started and changed the happy plans she had in mind. I truly hope I can do something to help her go back to Oman soon.

My lively younger sister, Kholoud, and her husband, Isaac, have worked really hard to build a loving home for their two bright daughters, Mona and Misk. They've put a lot of love and effort into making their home a special place. But now, because of the war, the future of their happy home seems uncertain. Their house was destroyed because of the missiles. I truly hope I can do anything to help them build a new safe space to their two charming daughters. Their older daughter Mona (her name means “hope”) had just started school when the war broke out. She was so excited about grade 1, and she loved going to school and meeting new people. But less than 2 months after the academic year started, she had to stop going to school because of the circumstances. (Attached some photos from her kindergarten year).

Finally, my youngest brother, Yosof, loves software engineering just like me. He was so close to making his dreams come true. He was a senior at university when the war began and his university was destroyed. Now, feeling hopeless and lost, his dreams seem far away. But we won't give up on him. With strong determination, we're committed to helping him find his way and achieve his goals during these tough times. It is very difficult to go back to study even if the war comes to an end. His plan now is to start somewhere else.”

Your help means a lot as we try to rebuild and think of better days ahead. Every donation, big or small, helps us start fixing our broken dreams. Your kindness gives us hope and helps us get through these hard times. We're really thankful for your support because it's essential in helping both of our families find hope and stability again.

Abdelrahman;

“ I will start with the beating heart of our family, Kenzie, and Hala, my two nieces.

Kenzie is around two and a half years old, and she loves drawing, and singing, and strangely, she adores cucumbers more than you can imagine. She's been going through tough times because of the scary sounds of explosions. We try to convince her they're just fireworks, but she says they're not nice and wishes they would stop. Besides that, due to environmental pollution, she got a bacterial infection on her skin in different places, like her face and hands. Moreover, she lost a lot of weight.

Hala, on the other hand, is about a year and a half old, and her biggest love is food and nothing else but food. Unfortunately, we're facing a severe shortage of food. In addition, she frequently suffers from diarrhea, reportedly due to contaminated water and her weakened immune system as a child. Not to mention how terrified she feels because of the sounds of the bombs.

My older sister, Ameera, is the mother of the two lovely girls, my nieces, and is married to Hazem. They are living in an open-air area near my family, with Salam’s family, and their home is partially destroyed as well.

Farah, my little sister, is a talented artist studying for a bachelor’s degree in multimedia. Her university was completely destroyed during this conflict, along with other universities. Now she is kind of hopeless, she told me that she feels like she lost everything, her home, university, future, and passion.

Then there's Yasser, my little brother. He's a passionate football player and worships Cristiano Ronaldo. He had to stop going to school and playing football because of the situation.

My dad, Ibrahim, is retired, and my mom, Sawsan, is the lake of love and care from which we all drink. They are going through tough and harsh circumstances due to the heavy responsibilities placed on their shoulders, especially after our entire home was destroyed.”