Help Us Survive & Save Our Lives & Future

We are two sisters from Gaza, Hadeel and Israa. I am Hadeel, 22 years old, carrying years of memories and dreams in my heart and mind. I was about to achieve my dream of graduating from university, but the Israeli occupation prevented that.

As for me, Israa, I am 18 years old and graduated from high school with a score of 96.4 to fulfill my dream and my grandmother's dream of studying medicine. However, the war began at the start of the first semester, making the dream of university and studying seem out of reach.

Our story began on October 7, when the occupation sent messages telling us to leave our homes for our safety. The decision was difficult: should we leave or stay? Fearing death or burning, we left our homes with only our identification papers and our lives at 2:20 AM.

We headed to West Gaza, to my uncle's house in the Tel al-Hawa area. My mother and my younger brother stayed behind for my father to return to them later. That night was extremely dark, and we could hear the planes of the occupation. We felt as if we were bidding farewell to one another, questioning our fate. After half an hour, we arrived, but the worst was yet to come.

As we got out of the car, the occupation bombed us with four strong strikes, turning the sky from darkness to daylight. We lost our balance and worried about our father's fate. My uncle was able to contact him after an hour of anxiety. Finally, my father came with my mother and brother safe.

We stayed at my uncle's house for six days under bombardment, with no sleep or food. Then we received messages from the occupation to leave to southern Gaza. We headed to the Deir al-Balah area, where we sought refuge in school shelters. The conditions there were extremely harsh.

The school was a cramped and crowded place. With no mattresses, we slept on cold and unclean tiles, with just a few blankets. There was no clean drinking water, and we relied on the little aid that reached us, which was often insufficient for our basic needs.

On the twenty-fourth day of the war, my siblings decided to search for food. They found someone selling chicken, but the occupation had other plans. We received news of the martyrdom of my eight-year-old cousin, which increased our suffering. He was a child who lit up the place with his smile, and now we were facing his loss with a sense of betrayal.

On the twenty-fifth day, we met our dear grandmother, who was the pillar of the family. However, her sorrow over losing her grandson led to her passing, marking a second loss that we had not yet processed.

Days passed, and we waited for the war to end, all while being without mattresses, food, or water. In moments of silence at night, we would recall childhood memories and wish our days were different. We are in desperate need of your help to survive. We ask you to feel for us, to look at our suffering, and not to leave us alone in this ordeal.

The humanity that binds us can be our lifeline. Please, help us to continue living, to return to our simple dreams, and to be children again. We are here, appealing to your hearts to reach us, so we can continue to live.

I plan to use the donations to leave Gaza due to the ongoing war. This journey is essential for my safety and survival. Additionally, I aim to secure basic necessities like food during this difficult time. Your support will help me find safety, continue my education, and rebuild my life.