Please help us save our family in Gaza

We are desperately reaching out for help to save our family living in Gaza. They are currently displaced, searching for somewhere to shelter.

I was born in the U.K; however, every immediate family member on my father-in-law’s side have lived permanently in Gaza, and continue to do so. It was important to us to share the name of each of them, as so often in the media, Palestinians are presented as numbers; however, due to the situation in Gaza, they live in fear of becoming targets, or their desperate hope of escaping to safety being further complicated. Therefore, despite being so incredibly proud of their names, and the immense resilience each of them continue to demonstrate, we have removed their names to protect them. This, of course, will not prevent us sharing their story as far and wide as we possible.

As we write this, our family members in Gaza include five uncles and five aunties (70-43 years old), twenty one cousins (15-33 years old), and eight of their children - four boys and three girls, aged between 15 and 7 months old.

If you have viewed this page previously, you may notice that some of the family photographs have been removed - this is to help allay their fears, and to protect them. Pilar, an artist from Argentina, has so kindly created the art you see below from a collection of these family photographs. Pilar has captured how beautiful our family are, and how much joy they had before October 7th 2023.

Since October 7th, we have witnessed tens-of-thousands of people, mainly women and children, being killed in the most horrific of circumstances under constant Israeli bombardment.

Like almost every other person in Gaza, our family are trapped and unable to leave a confined area in which there is no safe place. The ability to find medical treatment, food, and clean water is all but impossible, and in the circumstances, it is now a lottery as to who lives and who dies.

Before the start of the war, the family had a life: jobs, university and school. It is clear to anybody watching this nightmare unfold that life as they knew it is gone, never to return. They were soon forced to flee their family home in Khan Yunis, where they had lived for over 90 years, and were displaced to Rafah. Please see some photos of our family:

This family home, built by my grandfather-in-law before he died, was destroyed in the bombing almost as soon as they left, leaving nothing at all remaining to call home. Below is a photo of my late grandfather-in-law, and a photo of what is left of the family home:

After being displaced, and having their home, and lives destroyed, our family have again been displaced, and ordered out of Rafah. This is the area that was supposed to be safe. There is no safe shelter, no food, and no clean water: they are without the essentials to sustain life.

We continue to tirelessly petition whoever we can - members of Parliament, David Cameron’s office, embassies… the list goes on, but without so much as a glimmer of hope. We have prayed for a ceasefire - for somebody to say “enough is enough” - but this has not happened. In fact, it is abundantly clear that the killing of innocent people will not stop. The situation gets more desperate with each day that passes, and it is so heartbreaking being told by our family “we are so close to death,” and yet we are powerless to help them in any way.

The only hope we do have, is to rescue them, or as many of them as possible: to save their lives before it is too late. This becomes more urgent with every relative that is killed.

The only option available to those trapped in Gaza is the crossing into Egypt; however, this is an unregulated and financially extortionate process. The cost varies, but is currently estimated at £7,000+ per person. In the meantime, we are also exploring all other possibilities with the support of those who work in immigration law and supporting refugees.

This has led me to create this page in desperate hope; desperate hope of generating as much as possible through the generous donations of anybody that can relate to this truly awful situation. The situation in Gaza is unprecedented and ever changing. We understand that getting our family across the border to safety cannot be promised, but what can be promised is that every single penny raised, counts. It will be used to help our family escape to safety. Although we will not stop trying, in the event that this proves impossible, the money raised will be dedicated to rebuilding the family home, and their lives, in any way possible.

If you would like more details please do not hesitate to get in touch.

In the meantime, please help to spread their story, and please don’t stop talking about what is happening in Gaza.

Thank you for your compassion.

Emily Fares.