My name is Ahmed Al-Nabriss, based in Belgium. I am organizing this fundraising campaign for the family of my cousin, Alaa Al-Khatib. This campaign is being managed by his wife, Hanin.

​This is her message:

​"I am Hanin Al-Khatib from Gaza—a wife and mother of three: Hamza (10), Ahmed (8), and Adam (2). I write to you not merely to recount a tragedy, but to seek a lifeline for my family, whose dreams have withered away between the rubble and the tents.

​Before this war devastated our lives, we lived simply and peacefully. We had a home that sheltered us and days that passed quietly despite the hardships. That security vanished in an instant when our home was directly hit by an airstrike, turning the walls that once protected us into ruins that buried us all.

​In that moment when time stood still, everything was plunged into thick darkness. I will never forget the image of my infant, Adam—who was only 40 days old at the time—as I felt for him through the smoke and fire. With trembling hands, I searched through the ash and debris until, by a miracle, we pulled him and his brother Ahmed out from under the wreckage.

​We were rushed to the hospital, where our eldest son, Hamza, fought for his life in intensive care. His small body was burdened with critical injuries and severe burns; it is only by God’s grace that he is not a mere memory today. My husband, Alaa, and I emerged with shattered bodies—Alaa with a spinal fracture that left him unable to move, and myself with head wounds and burns on my feet.

​Our ordeal did not end there; it was only the beginning of a bitter journey. While Alaa and the children were receiving treatment at Nasser Hospital, we were forced to flee. At a checkpoint in Mawasi Khan Younis, Alaa was torn away from me and detained. He remained in prison for a year and a half, leaving me alone to face the responsibility of three wounded and traumatized children, with no knowledge of their father’s fate.

​By the grace of God, Alaa has recently returned to us, but he is not the man he used to be. He returned bearing the scars of unbearable torture and severe psychological trauma, and his spinal injury worsened during his detention. Despite everything, he tries to stay strong for his children, who grew up in his absence amidst hunger, fear, and destruction.

​Today, I live with my husband and children in a worn-out tent in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, where the cold bites and the rain drench us mercilessly. A few days ago, floodwaters invaded our modest tent, leaving us homeless for three days in the open air, sleeping on the wet ground. We barely managed to patch up what was left of the tent to take shelter once again. We have no income, and the skyrocketing prices have made the struggle for a daily meal an exhausting battle.

​My only wish is to take my children out of this nightmare and into a small rented apartment that can preserve their dignity and protect them from the harsh winter. I appeal to your humanity to help me provide for my children’s daily needs, their medical treatment, and a safe shelter to shield them from the bitter cold."