**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,

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of Ghada’s passing yesterday in Gaza. Anees asked us to share this news with you all, and to thank everyone for the support offered to his family, and most recently to his sister, Ghada. May she rest in peace.

While we had hoped to support Ghada in leaving Gaza and living a life of dignity, behind the scenes we have been working to find ways to support not only Ghada, but Anees as well. As some of you may know, Anees has struggled with a variety of health conditions within the last few years. Despite this, in recent months he was required to return to work, and while he did so for a period of time, struggling through each day, his team of doctors has now determined that he can no longer work due to his health challenges. Unfortunately, he is not yet receiving government support to cover his daily living expenses. It is for these reasons that we now have updated this campaign to reflect the needs of Anees. We hope that those who donated towards Ghada’s campaign will accept the use of those funds to support Anees’ basic needs over the next few months.

We have also updated the fundraiser amount, reflecting what we believe will be necessary to sustain Anees until Icelandic government support comes through. We want to recognize that there may be questions regarding the changing nature of this campaign. Please reach out to us as needed. We thank you for your continued support of Anees and his families during these extremely difficult times.

In solidarity.

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.