Help Ahmed and His Family Escape Gaza

To introduce myself, I’m a Palestinian-American who has been to the West Bank many times. Recently, I met Ahmed online. He’s a kind 29 year-old man from Gaza who has been fleeing bombardment with five members of his family. Miraculously, they’ve made it to Rafah, but to get into Egypt, they need $25,000. I know how easy it is to feel helpless in the face of this terrible genocide, but together, we can at least help this family make it to safety. Despite the horrible trauma and grief of this situation, Ahmed has been gracious enough to tell me his story so I can share it with you. I hope you read this and find it in your heart to help out.

Ahmed is not new to grief. In 2021, he lost his sister—a pregnant mother of two—and her husband to the aggression of that year. In October of 2023, Ahmed and his family were living in Tal al-Hawa when they once again sustained a terrible loss: the loss of their neighborhood.

Ahmed and his family now live in a tent in Rafah, where basic necessities cost ten times the usual price and there is no guarantee of safety. Here is the story in Ahmed’s words, edited by me for clarity:

“On the first day of the war, they destroyed the building behind our apartment, then they destroyed most of our neighborhood while we were there. We thought every missile was going to hit us, and the rubble was hitting our building. It was a very terrifying night.

“After the first week of the war, we left our apartment to my uncle’s home in Tal al-Hawa. The building where my mother’s side lives, also in Tal al-Hawa, got hit as well, so we and my uncles left. After that, they destroyed the building.

“Then the Israeli army called us to evacuate to the south, so me and my family evacuated to the south in Khan Younis in the area called Hamad City. We stayed there for 40 days or more—it’s hard to keep track. While we were there, they targeted a lot of apartments in the area. Some of them were so close to us we could hear people screaming. Then, they started targeting the whole building and called all of the people in the area to leave.

We evacuated to a UN warehouse in Rafah. Some of my relatives were here already, so they helped us to make a tent. I want to mention that we made it here with nothing but a small amount of summer clothes. What little supplies we could find to buy is ten times more expensive than the usual price. We are drinking unsafe water and using makeshift bathrooms. Two of my friends have been killed by Israeli air strikes and I have lost contact with many others.”

Ahmed has poured his heart out during a terrifying time to tell us his story. For those of us who are comfortable in our homes, the least we can do is donate to help Ahmed and his family get into Egypt and find safety with their relatives living abroad. Your donation can make a real difference in a Palestinian family’s life.

The proceeds of this fundraiser will go to an account managed by me and sent directly to Ahmed, a private individual with no connections to any organizations. I will use PayPal to get the money to him (gofundme is not available in the Occupied Palestinian Territories). To know more about Ahmed, you can visit his blog .