Urgent Rescue Mission for Alashqar Family in Gaza

This fundraiser is running by Hani Aldirawi (on behalf of his wife Israa Alashqar), who lives in the US to help Israa's family who is living in Gaza.

Summary:

My name is Israa Alashqar, I'm from Gaza, Palestine but I live in the US, with great sorrow I'm reaching out for urgent assistance to rescue my family the dire situation in Gaza.

My family (11 members) forced to leave their homes in the Northern Gaza and flee to the southern area of the Gaza Strip, they are now living in a tiny plastic tent that not protect them from winter nights cold nor the burning rays of the daylight, it doesn't protect them from the rain. My family lost everything due to the bombing in Gaza City, their homes, business, jobs and schools. when they left to the southern area they only took few items they could carry and they didn't imagine in their worst dreams that they will not be able to return again, they was thinking that they will return after few days to rebuild. their whole neighborhood gone.

My family has experience the lost of their relatives, friends and neighbors after being killed with the bombing.

they have been living in an unimaginable conditions due to the ongoing bombing.

My main concern is my family safety and wellbeing. they have endured so much hardship and it's break my heart to see them suffer. My family has gone through poisoning from the water and the air because of all the chemical released from the bombing and lack of clean water, food poisoning from the canned food they find to eat and viral illnesses due to the harsh living conditions and now they are forced to starved due to the lake of food and aid allowed to enter the Gaza Strip.

This Campaign aimed to help my family to provide for family's need in this critical time, resume my siblings studies, help complete Mohammed treatment and help my family safely evacuate Gaza to Egypt as soon as possible. with ultimate goal obtaining scholarships for my siblings to continue their disrupted education.

The war has taken a heavy toll on us, resulting in the loss of our ancestral home, significant damage to my family house, loved ones lost, and dreams shattered. Every contribution helps us cover evacuation costs, legal fees for visas, and educational opportunities, therefore ensuring our family's safety and future prospects. Your support means the world to us in these trying times, offering hope and a chance for a new beginning.

My family never wanted to leave our Homeland but sadly the situation is forcing them to find anther place to live safely, my family lives are exposed to death in any moment.

They want to escape from the genocide going on in Gaza for more than 150 days

AND I DON'T WANT TO LOOSE MY FAMILEY

Introducing My Family

My sister Dina just Graduated from Medical School with a Bachelor Degree in Medicine, and she was just started her journey in Master Degree in Public Health.

My sister Raghad she's in her fourth year in Bachelor of Medicine.

Ola is my little sister she was just finish her high school degree with a very high GPA 99.6% and she was ranked as the second best student in the whole country, she chose to study Bachelor in Engineering, she just complete two weeks before the beginning of the on going war since October 7.

My Sister Sondos, she was working in a local company, her husband Mahmoud own a small market they lost it completely due a bombing, their 4 years son has just attended pre school few weeks before the war, I remember who excited he was, but now for a 6 months he live in a very horrible situation in a continues fear, they just finished their apartment renovation in August 2023, less than 2 month before they lost everything.

My Brother Khalid is a bank accountant, he used to work in a local bank that was destroyed completely in the beginning of this war, he also own a small store that was also destroyed, his wife is an Ophthalmologist, that stop working because of the war, their son Mohammed a 6 years old has cerebral palsy and epilepsy he was just started to attend first grade. in February 29 we knew that their Apartment was completely burned.

My father is a professor in mathematics, he has just retired 3 days prior to the war, he still didn't got his employment saving plan's money, he has investment in local company around $70k that he lost completely due the destructions because of the war.

My mother a retired mathematics teacher.

In February 29, we knew that my family house was burned completely. my parents worked their whole life just to built it 13 years ago and they just finished furnishing it 2 years ago.

A six-year-old, Mohammed (in the cover photo), is My nephew (Khalid's son), he has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. He used to have daily physical therapy in a clinic in Northern Gaza, but he couldn't get treatment since the beginning of the war (October 7, 2023). His father used to help him do some physical exercises at home using the medical tools that they own. He used to have a wheelchair and walker but couldn't use them since they left the tools in their home. Before the beginning of the war, he started to walk a few steps. Now, due to the lack of treatment, and the fear they are living he is not walking anymore. He should get multiple surgeries to lengthen tendons and correct the alignment of bones and now he can't have it in Gaza.

This is Mohammed at the same time last year during the month of Ramadan

Mohammed few months before the war, he was just learnt how to walk few steps and he was so happy to show his grandparents his achievements, unfortunately he stopped walking now

This is Ahmed last year celebrating his birthday at his home (January 1st, 2023)

and this is him celebrating his birthday during the war last January, his mom was able to make him a cake with the few ingredients that they could find.

Ahmed - his first day at preschool

He was dreaming to become a doctor as his aunts

these are my beautiful, intelligent sisters with my parents during their last trip to Saudi Arabia a year ago

and this is another photo for my beautiful family celebrating Dina at her Graduation Day.

These are the only photos that I have for out beautiful house from last Ramadan before it's burned.

and this is a photo of our house after it's burned that we got from some of the neighbors who stayed in the northern of Gaza. (February 29,2023).

Actually, the whole neighborhood was destroyed.

and these are photos of the neighborhood

this is the place that my family are living in now a tiny tent

Our story:

My name is Israa, and I am reaching out from USA, where I am safe but my family in Gaza is not. My heart remains with them, I never imagined a day would come when we would need to seek your support through this GoFundMe campaign to bring my family to safety and provide them with an opportunity for a better future. However, the harsh and dangerous living conditions in Gaza have forced us into this situation, surpassing all expectations. The funds raised mainly will be crucial for covering the costs of crossing borders, coordination fees, transportation, and ensuring a semblance of stability in Egypt for the initial months.

The Family’s Situation

Five months into the war, we come to realize that we need more than just one heart to bear all this devastation and more than one set of eyes to cry and mourn without restraint. Since the war began, disasters have continuously befallen my family without respite.

My family escape from the northern of Gaza to the South and they displaced two timed, they left everything behind them (houses, jobs, businesses, money, etc), and can't return home anymore because the military closed the road that connects the two areas. My family are are trying to adapt to the nights filled with cold and fear, fleeing from death, and emerging from the rubble over and over again.

And each time that we miraculously survived, we lost a part of us, a piece of our hearts. My father, who lost his brother, nephews, and nieces, experienced a shocking blow. On the same day, he lost 11 martyrs from his brothers' children and their offspring.

My mother, who lost her cousin and cousin's family ( children and wife).

we lost our neighbors that lived in the house in-front of our house, we lost friends, colleges, and relatives.

All of these losses didn't give us a chance to grieve properly or look at everything with a hopeful eye.

My father's and mother's health was already deteriorating due to chronic illnesses. they both are all elderly with high pressure and other autoimmune illness.

I mentioned my nephew Mohammed's condition previously

Due to the lack of medical staff in Gaza and overall lack of proper healthcare services all of them can't get prober treatment.

In war, cases are evaluated based on the priority of preserving life, without considering that the case being evaluated is a little child who have big dreams.

My sister Dina survived a laceration in her neck very close to Carotid Artery from one of the explosion that happened from a bombing next to their place.

Dina now is volunteering as MD in a hospital, every time I call her she will tell me how horrific the situation is, that even all the video and the footage that we see on the media and the internet is showing us just a small percentage of what is really going on.

My family has been living in the south of Gaza since October 12, 2023. Unfortunately, even the south is not safe at all. During the last two weeks, my family survived twice due to an Israeli airstrike a few meters from their place. Most of them got injured twice. We are now very worried about their life; we might lose them in a future airstrike.

The life in Gaza has become very unsafe and unbearable, they are forced to strive, the UN said that all the people in Gaza are now on the brink of famine, garbage is in the streets causing illness and infections, and water is not safe to use with all the chemical bombing that been used, the air is polluted, and the health system is falling.

My family were not born as superheroes; they are ordinary humans. They go to their jobs, others go to learn, and they gather in the evening to talk about what the ordinary days bring us.

During the war, the universities where my siblings study and my father works were destroyed, and the jobs of my other siblings vanished into thin air.

All these events have had a physical and psychological impact on the family. My father lost weight alongside losing more this brother family. My father lost his health and his sanity, overwhelmed by grief, he lost all his research papers, his certificates and his house that he spent his whole life working to build it.

My brother and sisters lost what they lost, alongside surviving various incidents during the war, and others from the starving predators on the streets.

Therefore, it takes more than one heart and mind to comprehend and endure what transpired during the war.

with the loosing of our house we lost our memories, our childhood photos, our certificates and our hope.

I was luck 2 years ago to travel back home to spend some times with my family, my child play with her cousins with our childhood toys as my mom was saving them for her grandchildren.

Our Goals

Our immediate goal is to secure the safety and well-being of our family in Egypt. For my parents they already have a US visa so I can bring them here to live with me. where I can provide the care and support they desperately need.

For my siblings, once they are settled in Egypt, our goal is to secure scholarships that will allow them to continue their education and rebuild their futures. and for Mohammed to receive the medical care he desperately need.

To facilitate my family's evacuation from Gaza to Egypt, I'm setting up a GoFundMe campaign to raise USD $85,000. Here is the breakdown of the funds:

• At least $2,500 will be used to cover GoFundMe's transaction fees (2.9% plus $0.30 per donation).

• A total of $55,000 has been allocated to cover the expenses associated with obtaining permits to leave Gaza, as well as crossing fees at Rafah, at the Egypt-Gaza border. The crossing fee in average is $5,000/person (on average) and must be paid to Egypt. So, 11 people X $5,000/person= $55,000.

• The minimum cost of living for two months is $5,000 for a large family.

• The cost of Mohammed's medical equipment and training is at least $23,000

How You Can Help

Donate: Your financial support is critical in covering the costs associated with evacuation, securing educational opportunities for my siblings, and supporting my parents' and Mohammed's relocation and medical needs.

Share: Spreading the word about our campaign can significantly increase our reach and the support we receive.

Network: If you have connections or resources related to scholarships, educational opportunities, or immigration support, your guidance would be invaluable.

Every donation, no matter how small, will make a significant difference to the my family's safety. The funds raised will be used transparently and efficiently to ensure that every dollar is spent on ensuring their safety.

We are deeply grateful for your support, and we are deeply grateful for any assistance you may be able to provide during this difficult time. Please share this campaign with your friends, family, and colleagues so that we can reach our goal and provide safety for my family.

Please accept my sincere thanks for your kindness and support, as well as your willingness to stand with us in solidarity, as together, we can make a difference and help my family find safety and security.

Contingency Plan

In the event that we are unable to evacuate everyone immediately, we will use the remaining funds to support our family's daily survival needs in Gaza. This includes securing essential supplies and medical care to sustain them until we can bring them to safety.

Lastly, your generosity can transform the lives of our family members, providing them with the safety, education, and healthcare they desperately need. We are deeply grateful for any support you can offer during this critical time.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Please help us to save my family

As a result, we are the only hope for them to leave Gaza and be responsible for all costs. Please help me collect the application fees and travel costs for 11 people.

Israa and Hani