Help evacuate Mahmoud's family out of Gaza war

Hi, my name is Amran. I am from Dublin, Ireland. I have set up this campaign on behalf of the family of my Palestinian friend Mahmoud. Mahmoud and his family are currently displaced and they are suffering from various things such as homelessness, sickness, lack of medicine, extremely limited food, and various other things in the Rafah Camp located in the Southern part of the Gaza Strip. Please assist me in getting this family to safety in Egypt by donating whatever you can and kindly share this campaign with your friends, and family as well as on your social platforms.

My name is Mahmoud Elhelu. I am a 21-year-old Palestinian that is born and raised in Gaza. My family consists of the following people: my father, my mother, and my two younger sisters (Talat and Shahad). Then, my oldest brother Ahmed is married and he has eight members in his family. Then my sister Tasneem who is currently trapped in Gaza City, and her family consists of four people.

A photo of me and my mother in a tent.

A picture of my father, mother, and my two sisters in a tent:

The below video is of my sister Tesneem who is severely suffering from famine and constant bombing in Gaza City. She and her children go into destroyed homes daily looking for a means of survival in the besieged Gaza City.

TikTok link: Tesneem and her children search the rubble

I had many ambitions and dreams that are now destroyed. I lived with my family In the "Tal al-Hawa neighborhood" in Gaza City. My family owned five apartments in the "Tal al-Hawa" neighborhood, an area that the Israeli occupation began targeting and bombing on the seventh of October. All of our apartments are now destroyed by Israeli bombings.

First, the Israeli occupation bombed the house next to us, which led to an injury to my foot. My mother was suffering from dyspnea. She had a crisis, and the smell of the missile and the bombing caused her to suffocate. We left our home that got bombed and rushed to the hospital. We remained in the hospital to treat our injuries and as a means of safety for a month and ten days before we left for the South.

After several days, the Israeli occupation announced a ground entry into Gaza, and we found that the army had come very close to us, the bombing intensified, and we began to hear the clashes. They were close, we could hear them all the time, and the sounds of raining bombs and tanks made our ears bleed in pain. We lived through the most frightening days of our lives. Largely, because we were in a closed military zone, there was no food, no water, and no life, only death surrounded us.

The picture below is a picture of our destroyed homes.

The picture below is a photo of my mother, she is very dear to me. She has grown old and weak and she has sacrificed so much for us in her life. To see her suffer like this and break down in front of me is the most painful experience for me. I am not in a position to help her or my family, so I appeal to the world to help me in getting my family out of this suffering.

None of us expected a war to occur in such a terrifying manner. I have witnessed four wars since I was young: the 2008 war, the 2012 war, the 2014 war, and the 2021 war, but they were nothing like the current war. Our homes and dreams have been crushed, we have been displaced, humiliated, starved, and abandoned. Our lives are actively threatened daily and now, all we wish for is to be able to live.

Death is more merciful than our current condition. The only things that remain in Gaza now are suffering, diseases, and a slow painful death. We have been searching for a tent and food since arriving at Rafah Camp. We have had no luck. The only thing between us and the freezing temperatures is a tent that we constructed using plastic. Every night we are freezing in the cold, there is no food, no jackets, and no adequate blankets. Most of the children are extremely sick and we have all developed different types of sicknesses. There is no medical treatment. The hospitals are overwhelmed and there are no spaces available. The Israeli army has rained down papers ordering the evacuation of a town very close to our camp in Rafah. They are coming to Rafah very soon and while we suffer from sickness and cold every day, we are also living in extreme fear.

A photo of my brother Ahmed and a display of our painful living conditions:

Your help and donations go beyond simple financial support. It is a dedication to protecting human life, humanity, solidarity, and compassion in the face of unprecedented injustice. I desperately need your assistance in getting my family to safety. Every donation whether big or small matters. Additionally, I request that you share my story and stand in solidarity with us in the darkest moments in our lives.

Through the Egyptian authorities, there is an opportunity for this family to leave Gaza and start a new life in Egypt. The family already has some relatives in Egypt. Rest assured that 100% of your donations will be spent on this process.

1. The Egyptian authorities are charging anywhere between $6500 - $8,000 per adult for the Rafah crossing permit and the coordination of the transit from Gaza to Egypt. There is a total of 5 adults in this family. They are charging anywhere between $1000-$2000 per child.

2. $15,000 will be spent on setting up the life of the Elhelu family in Egypt—the purchase of clothing, the renting of a home, food, medicine, and other necessities.

3. Roughly, $2000 -$3000 will be used to cover the fees associated with this GoFundMe.

I will keep you all updated.

Thank you for taking the time to read this story and thank you to every single donor and those who will repost this,

Mahmoud and Amran.

Some pictures of Mahmoud and his family before the genocide commenced in Gaza.