Help Me Rebuild After Losing Everything in Gaza

My name is Mo’tasem Mortaja, and this is more than just my story — it’s the story of a family that gave everything for truth, and a plea for hope after unimaginable loss.

I was born and raised in Gaza, a place where resilience is a daily necessity and survival is never guaranteed. In 2018, my eldest brother, journalist Yaser Mortaja, was killed by Israeli forces while documenting the Great March of Return — his camera in hand, his vest clearly marked “PRESS.” He died trying to show the world the truth. His loss shattered our family, but it also planted a seed of purpose within me.

A year later, in 2019, I founded my own media production company — a dream built through passion, debt, and sleepless nights. But in 2021, during the 11-day war, it was deliberately bombed and destroyed. I lost everything I had built, once again.

Still, I didn’t stop.

I began to rebuild from the rubble, holding on to the vision I inherited from Yaser: to tell Gaza’s stories, to be a voice for the voiceless. But in 2023, the pain deepened. My younger brother Hamza Mortaja was martyred in another Israeli airstrike — while I was far away in the south of Gaza, unable to even say goodbye.

Now, I am not only mourning two brothers. I am also the sole caregiver for their children — beautiful souls who lost their fathers far too soon. They are my deepest responsibility and my greatest motivation.

What I’ve Lost:

• My media company, worth over $50,000, was reduced to ashes.

• My apartment, a dream I spent years building, valued at $90,000, was completely destroyed.

• My professional tools — cameras, drones, editing equipment — all gone.

• My home — gone. My safe space — gone.

But I refuse to give up.

Why I Need Your Help:

I am raising $200,000 to:

1. Rebuild my media production company and replace lost equipment.

2. Support the orphans of my two brothers — to provide them with safety, education, and care.

3. Establish projects that empower Palestinian journalists and creatives to keep our stories alive.

Your support — no matter the amount — is not just a donation. It’s a declaration that truth matters. It’s hope for my family, my community, and my mission to continue resisting erasure through storytelling.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for standing with me during the most difficult chapter of my life. Together, we can turn loss into legacy, and pain into purpose.

With gratitude and resilience,

Mo’tasem Mortaja