Support Needed for Gaza Family This Winter

Cover photo is of our friend Anees's niece Meera, who is eight years old.

**WE ARE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN CONTRIBUTE MONTHLY. IF YOU HAVE THAT CAPACITY, PLEASE EMAIL US DIRECTLY AT GAZAAIDDIRECT [AT] GMAIL [DOT] COM**

TO DONATE DIRECTLY:

Venmo @Laura-Kraftowitz

CashApp $LauraKraftowitz

PayPal @laurakraftowitz

* Please notate your contribution as "Anees"

Hello dear supporters,

As you know, the situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Millions are living with little shelter, income, or food amidst violence where no one is safe.

One of these families is that of our colleague and good friend, Anees Mansour. This is a fundraiser for his family.

Anees’ extended family consists of 22 people. As refugees who lived in Rafah, they have been displaced and are now in tents in Khan Younis. Due to the devastation, they’ve lost their home and livelihood, and are struggling to meet basic needs such as food, water, shelter, medicine, and as winter approaches, warmth.

Although he now lives in Iceland, Anees grew up in the Yibneh refugee camp in Rafah, and his life has been dedicated to others. He spent years working with the International Solidarity Movement and later channeled his energy into supporting children with trauma at the Rachel Corrie Cultural Center in Rafah. He went on to found the Hope and Peace Foundation, through which he led numerous Ramadan campaigns, providing aid to some of the most vulnerable families in Gaza. He leveraged this team in the first year of the genocide to support over 300 families with tens of thousands of dollars of aid.

Now, his own family is enduring horrendous conditions and he is turning to his wider community for help. It costs $100/month to support each of his 19 extended family members, meaning we need to raise $1,900 per month to sustain them through the winter — $11,400 to get us through March. This amount will provide essential supplies—food, water, and medical care—to sustain his family through this crisis.

With no income, the rising cost of food and other essentials and limited humanitarian aid, his family is in desperate need of this assistance. Every dollar counts, and your generosity will make an immediate difference.

Beyond material support, this campaign is also a reminder that we are not powerless in the face of injustice. Our grief and anger can be channeled into action, and together, we can provide hope to those who have lost everything. If you would like to donate or learn more, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

With love and gratitude.

Anees, Laura, Serena, and Ali

P.S. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need more information on how to contribute or want to learn more about the situation in Gaza.

WHO WE ARE

We are friends and colleagues who have known each other for 20 years, located in the US, the UK, and Iceland.

Anees Mansour grew up in Yibneh refugee camp in Rafah, Gaza Strip. He has been a human rights worker and organizer since he was 15 years old. He worked with the International Solidarity Movement, the Rachel Corrie Foundation, The Rachel Corrie Cultural Center in Rafah, and was a founder of The Hope and Peace Foundation.

Ali Flebotte is a nurse in Glasgow, Scotland. An active member of their local Jewish community, they see universal human rights, including for Palestinians, as a core part of their Judaism. They spent 4 months in the West Bank and Gaza in 2003 volunteering alongside Palestinians to monitor and directly oppose the effects of the Israeli occupation. They condemn all violence targeting civilians in the region, both the October 7th attacks and holding of hostages, and the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Gaza and long-term extra judicial imprisonment of Palestinians. Since befriending Anees in Rafah in 2003, they have worked together on a Palestinian/Jewish UK speaking tour, and on fundraising to support children and families in Rafah.

Serena is a counselor based in the US. She has worked with a number of Palestine solidarity and liberation organizations over the years, including the International Solidarity Movement, The Rachel Corrie Foundation, and the Olympia Rafah Sister City Project amongst others. She spent time in the West Bank in 2002, lived in Rafah for a time in 2005-2006, and returned to Gaza in 2009 after Operation Cast lead.

Laura Kraftowitz is an organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace who lived in Rafah. She has worked with the International Solidarity Movement, the Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights, the Right to Enter Campaign, and elsewhere.

We seek to be transparent in our efforts. Please feel free to email us if you have any questions about this fundraiser.