Help me evacuate my family from Rafah

*Project Watermelon and Operation Olive Branch Certified Fundraiser*

My name is Ahmed Okasha and I live in Diksmuide, Belgium, but I am from Gaza City. My father, Hatem Khalil Okasha, my mother, Kefah Okasha, and my two brothers, Mohamed Hatem Okasha and Saifaldeen Okasha are still living in the Gaza Strip. 

Since October 7, they have been displaced. Their home was bombed on the first day of the war. They then sought refuge in the UNRWA-run Jabalia camp. They remained there for as long as they could, not wanting to leave North Gaza, as it had been their home since my grandparents were displaced in the 1948 Nakba.

However, life became untenable in the North under constant Israeli bombardment. Thirty members of my extended family were killed in the Jabalia Camp massacre on October 31st. My parents and brothers fled Jabalia and took refuge in Shifa. During the seven day pause in fighting, they migrated south to Bureij in Khan Younis and finally to Rafah, where they currently remain. 

While Rafah was supposed to be the last safe place in Gaza, it is now under constant assault. Like so many others, my family cannot obtain their life-saving medicine or needed treatment for their chronic health conditions of diabetes and high blood pressure. The cost of basic food items is extremely inflated and impossible to afford. 

My family does not want to leave the Gaza Strip, but they believe their survival depends on crossing the border and seeking safety in Egypt. Unfortunately, the crossing is expensive. The guards are demanding $10,000 per person. I’ve created this fundraiser to raise the money and save my family.

Every share and donation makes a difference to my family. They have been through so much and need urgent help. All funds raised will go to the crossing fees so that my family may find safety. Thank you for your kindness.