Help Our Dear Friend Get Out of Gaza

Greetings and salaams, our names are Taslim, Fatima, and Samia van Hattum (three sisters from New Mexico). We are raising funds on behalf of our dear friend, Mohamed Lafi and his family, who are trying to cross the border out of Gaza. Mohamed, who is from Gaza, studied public health in the U.S. as a Fulbright scholar at Tulane’s School of Public Health with Taslim in New Orleans, in addition to being a nurse. Mohamed has spent his entire career working in health for his people in Palestine (you can read articles he has helped to write here). While in New Orleans, he was an active member of the New Orleans community and a beloved member of the Uptown Mosque, Masjid Rahmah. Taslim and Fatima also visited Mohamed in Gaza while they were there on a delegation in 2009 after Operation Cast Lead (the 22-day military assault on the Gaza Strip in 2009). They were lucky to meet and spend time with his wonderful family.

Mohamed’s family and his son’s family were displaced from their two apartments in Gaza City and are now in Rafah. They evacuated Gaza City with nothing but their papers. They left everything behind with the hopes that they would be able to return after a few weeks. This, as we now know, turned out to be impossible as the city has been decimated. Currently, Rafah is being bombed almost constantly and is at imminent risk for broad ground invasion. Mohamed and his family of 15 people are seeking to flee to Egypt. This includes him (57), his wife (Hanan, 56), two sons (Khaled, 25 and Omer, 28), daughter (Amani, 22), his daughter in law (another Amani, 28), and his grandson (Mohamed, 3). His daughter (Nidaa, 32) and her husband (Nahed, 36), and their three daughters (Farah, 7 who was born with congenital heart disease and had a major heart surgery at the age of one month, Rima, 4 and Hala, 1.5 years). His sister Fatima (59) and her two daughters (Nihal, 33 and Areej, 27).

At this time, it costs between $5,000 - $6,500 per adult and $1,800 - $3,000 per child to cross the border from Rafah into Egypt. We are seeking to raise $80,000 for their family to cross the border into Egypt (the funds will be sent to the company facilitating border crossings in Egypt). We know there is so much devastation and loss and every single person in the Gaza Strip and all of Palestine deserves to live. Please help us support one beloved family.

The cover image is Mohamed with his grandchildren Rima, Mohamed, and Farah.

Farah's first day of school in grade one. She started school one and a half months before October 7th. Schools have been closed since and all the schools in Rafah have been turned into shelters for over one million displaced people.

Little Mohamed at the beach.

Mohamed and his wife, Hanan.

Mohamed with his son Omer, daughter in law, Amani, and little Mohamed.

Mohamed's wife, Hanan, and daughter, Amani.

Mohamed and his son, Khalid.

Mohamed's daughter, Nidaa, and her baby Hala.

Mohamed's daughter, Nidaa, and his son in law, Nahed.