Urgent Help for Khader and Yasmine Escaping Gaza

Title: Urgent Relief for Khader and Yasmine: Escaping Brutal Gaza

*In the photos, you can witness the stark contrast between Khader and Yasmine's lives before and after the onset of war—a once vibrant existence now reduced to rubble and ashes.*

We are racing against time, asking for your assistance to rescue my brother, Khader Alsourani, a dedicated humanitarian affiliated with Peace Winds Japan, and my sister-in-law, Yasmine Zimmo. They are vulnerable to being bombed at any second. Despite the escalating violence and devastation, Khader and Yasmine have chosen to remain so far in Gaza City, the bloody North of Gaza Strip, on the remains of their destroyed home, steadfast in their commitment to aiding the poorest of their fellow Palestinians in Gaza. However, with conditions deteriorating rapidly and beyond what is imaginable, their survival is becoming increasingly precarious. Cut off from basic necessities like food, water, and electricity, they find themselves trapped in the ruins of their home, deprived of their right to lead a life with any signs of dignity.

Khader and Yasmine were once two young individuals full of dreams and aspirations, striving to make a difference despite the hardships of life in Gaza. Having already endured the loss of family members, friends, and all of their cherished possessions— including their dear home and car—they now, on top of it all, face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives from scratch. Every aspect of life in Gaza demands unwavering resilience, and Khader and Yasmine exemplify this resilience in their determination to persevere.

“In Gaza, many people lost family members, others lost their dear homes, or lost their cars. I lost all of that, but what I lost and can’t retrieve in Gaza is my soul, which departed with all the suffering I witnessed and endured.

I once had a happy family always gathered together, an amazing and supporting wife, a beautiful home and a hardly-saved-for car, and a small family farm that supported the whole family. My family and I lost all of that and endured all that can be imagined and beyond so far. We think we must have seen it all, but to our sad surprise, it keeps getting worse every single day. I became a human moving without his soul. Every corner and street in Gaza City witnessed my suffering.

I don’t know if what I'm doing is right, as my soul is connected to Gaza, which I once worked on rebuilding and give hope and relief to its poorest and most marginalized people, dreaming of our collective future with dignity together, leaving no one behind. But I think to return back to being a human with any sense of dignity, to escape death, I need to escape Gaza now. My wife and I deserve to have a fresh breath that we were deprived of for months. We need to undergo psychological treatment, and return to being human, support ourselves and when the time comes, return to Gaza and help once again rebuilding it, and restoring what we lost from the ashes.

My wife and I were once among the most successful and ambitious people who managed to do so despite the cruel, merciless reality of Gaza. I managed to become a Wastewater plant manager at the age of 24. For my people in Gaza, I moved gradually to humanitarian work to help give a better life for the poorest in this poor place on earth. Now, I proudly work with Peace Winds Japan, being responsible for monitoring a humanitarian project that helped elevate the lives of hundreds of extremely marginalized Gaza children in its poorest areas. The experience working with Peace Winds Japan changed me as a person, especially in collaboration with my colleagues from Japan, seeing all what we managed to do for the vulnerable people of Gaza cannot be described in words.

Due to my work, I'm usually the one who hears people's stories, tries to help them, and works hard so that aid can reach the most needy people. But today, I'm the story and the victim, and I ask for your help to evacuate myself and my wife outside of Gaza, and help us rebuild our life when the time comes.

After the last Gaza war, for more than two years, I worked two jobs to rebuild my family’s and my lost life, with the assistance of my wife, Yasmine, who recently finished a degree and graduated with honors, securing a job (now lost) with a big telecommunications company in Palestine.

I know I may not be able to use your funds eventually, to remain alive until I can reach enough funds to evacuate Gaza, but what I always believe is that a human being will never become ash.

Thank you.”

Khader and Yasmine's resilience is a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Your contribution will not only facilitate their evacuation from Gaza but also empower them to rebuild their lives anew and continue their fight for a better future.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all who will share our fundraiser and contribute to this vital cause. Together, we can provide Khader and Yasmine with a chance to survive and an opportunity for a better, safer future—one where they can continue to make a positive impact on the world.

Thank you for your compassion and support.

Sincerely,

Faten Alsourani (Khader’s sister)