Save my family from the war in Gaza

I am reaching out to you for your help in saving the lives of my family from the horrors of the war in Gaza and helping evacuate them from it. It's been five months of death, destruction, and displacement that have left everyone burdened with pain.

My name is Hussam from Gaza, currently living in Belgium with my only son, Omar. I left Gaza five years ago in search of a better life and a brighter future for my son. I am uncertain whether I will ever see my family again and especially my son, who constantly asks me about his grandparents with one question: "Papa: Are my grandparents still alive?"

With the onset of the war, the first news I heard was the loss of my aunt, her husband, her children, and grandchildren—a whole family of 18 people, the first of my relatives to be lost. Subsequent news followed of the loss of more relatives, dearest friends, childhood and school friends during a war that the mind cannot comprehend.

My family consists of:

My father (Azzam), my mother (Noha).

My twin brother (Hazem) and his wife (Ola), and their two children (Azzam) and (Dina).

My sister (Alaa), her husband (Muhannad), and their two daughters (Alma) and (Lyn).

My youngest sister (Ghaydaa), her husband (Murid), her daughter (May), and her son (Izz Al-Din).

They are all currently in shelters between Rafah and Al-Zawaida.

On Tuesday, February 15th, my sister Ghaydaa gave birth to her second child (Izz al-Din), who joined our family amidst tragic circumstances and a difficult birth under the sounds of bombing and shelling.

The support needed is to enable my family to evacuate from Gaza to Egypt through the only available crossing, which is the Rafah crossing Border. Unfortunately, the cost of evacuating each person ranges from €8.000 to €12.000 per person. Last step is to be reunited with them here in Belgium.

In the past months, my family was forced to evacuate our home and move to central and southern Gaza to multiple locations, after we received news that our house was partially destroyed. We do not know its current condition and it's impossible to reach, as we live near Al-Shifa Hospital, which was part of the largest military operation during the war.

"our area footage"

My family is under constant psychological pressure, fear, confusion, and waiting in difficult living and health conditions. Access to appropriate food has become everyone's dream, especially breastfeeding milk for my newborn nephew.

My brother Hazem, his wife, and children were able to reach Egypt safely on Friday the 23rd of February with family in law assistance, but unfortunately, we no longer have solutions to evacuate the rest of the family.

Costs breakdown:

€4300 to cover the expenses of transferring to GoFundMe at a rate of 2.9% and 30 cents per transfer.

€90.000 is allocated to obtain exit permits from Gaza and cover crossing fees through the Rafah land crossing.

€2.000 for travel and transportation expenses from Gaza to Egypt.

€30.000 for living expenses for 10 people, including rent and daily living necessities, for a period of between 6 months up to a year.

The next step is to reunite my family in Belgium, where my son Omar and I reside, by submitting the necessary documents to the Belgian embassy in Egypt, which will require some time and costs as well, as follows:

€1.700 to create reunification files.

€9.000 for flight and transportation tickets.

€15.000 to rent a house for 3 months - 4 months in Belgium including daily living necessities.

What to expect from me:

An update on my family's movements from Gaza to Egypt and onwards to Belgium.

An update regarding renting a house and enabling them to settle for some time in a safe place.

An update regarding my submission of a file for reunification with them in Belgium.

Your support makes a difference!

Your generosity and support can change the course of their lives. I have experienced war myself more than once in Gaza and still suffer from its traumas. I fear for my family not only from losing their lives but also from losing their minds from the traumas of all these successive wars.

Be assured that your contribution, regardless of its size and type, will greatly affect the safety and security of my family. They are at risk of death every moment, and all I hope for is that even if you are not able to provide financial assistance, your participation in spreading this campaign among your acquaintances is also a great support in reaching the main goal of providing a safe haven for my family.

With full appreciation and thanks for your generosity and solidarity, together we can make a tangible difference and see my family and loved ones again and hold them once more.

Thank you sincerely,

Hussam & Omar