Letter from Gaza

Dear friends and supporters,

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your incredible support. Your generosity and kindness have played a crucial role in saving my family. My mother, sister, mother-in-law, sisters, brothers-in-law, and I are immensely grateful for the help you have provided. Thanks to your support, they are now undergoing rehabilitation after enduring the immense trauma of being in the Gaza Strip.

With your assistance, we were able to rescue them from certain death in Gaza. They have received vital medical and dental care. My sister-in-law, who had been deprived of essential chemotherapy treatment for several months due to the inhumane conditions in Gaza, is finally receiving the care she needs.

Several of my family members still remain in Gaza, including my father-in-law. For almost ten months, he has had to constantly escape dangerous situations. He cannot stay in one place for more than a week. Despite these hardships, he has found companionship in a stray cat, who now shares his tent. He found this cat wandering in Rafah, likely having lost her family to the violence. The only food he has on a daily basis is a tin of tuna, which he shares with the cat. This is far from sufficient to meet his protein requirements. When I talk to him every morning, after many attempts due to the collapsing network in Gaza, his answer to what he has to eat is always “tuna.” In order to spare him the repetition of this hardship, I have decided to ask him about it less frequently.

The past 12 weeks have been particularly dangerous in Gaza. In truth, there is no safe place in Gaza. The entire Strip is under intense and constant bombardment. Families have set up tents amidst the rubble. With the Rafah crossing burnt down and blocked, there is no hope of escaping Gaza. People are trapped, bombarded from the air, and surrounded.

My father-in-law’s stories about the situation in Gaza are heart-wrenching. They are constantly on the move due to the bombings. Currently, they are in an area full of sand dunes in Khan Yunis. One of their neighbors is in a wheelchair, and every time they have to escape, my almost 62-year-old father-in-law insists on pushing her through the sand. His strength and nobility in these dire times are truly inspiring.

As you may recall, my father-in-law chose not to leave Gaza. Instead, he gave his ticket to his son-in-law, a doctor. At the time, he stated that he wanted to secure education certificates for his daughters so they could continue their studies. However, the real reason was that he believed his sons-in-law, including me, would take care of his wife and daughters.

In every phone call he has with his wife, he tells her that he is okay. She, in turn, indulges him, knowing that things are far from fine. The sounds of overhead bombings and drones are constant. They keep up a facade. Making a phone call means going to a higher area where bombings are more likely. So the calls are kept brief, perhaps just a minute. The old brick Nokia phones have a long battery life and can go several days between charges.

A few days ago, the supposed safe zone in Gaza was attacked, resulting in the deaths of over 100 civilians. The destruction was so severe that bodies were still being found buried under the sand. There is no way for anyone to escape Gaza, as there is no open port. I had hoped that neighboring countries would show compassion and assist the people of Gaza, especially those who are determined to survive. However, my own experience of trying to visit my family in Egypt revealed the harsh reality. Despite the high cost and effort to obtain a permit, I was detained for three days solely because of my Palestinian origin. But eventually, after over two and a half years apart, I was able to embrace my family, a precious moment made possible by your support.

From the bottom of our hearts, we extend our sincerest thanks. We pray that my father-in-law will finally be able to leave Gaza, somehow. I am also in the process of applying for my wife to join me in the UK, where I work as an emergency doctor. If possible, I hope to eventually move to Scotland and secure a job in a hospital there.

None of this would have been possible without your generous donations. Together, we have saved lives. At the same time, we keep everyone in Gaza and the West Bank in our thoughts and prayers.

Thank you for being on this journey with us.

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