(Below is an in-depth account of what spurred on this GFM and soon I will edit down in the coming days. Note professional representation cost's are needed to allocate the right lawyers to Naser's legal case - without this, he faces the prospect of being sent back to Gaza or face consequences by authorities in Egypt)

As of March 2024, almost 40,000 people have been murdered by Israeli forces in Gaza, with numbers continuing to rise by the hour.

After spending months enduring the bombardment, witnessing the killing of many innocents, 21 year old Naser Eyad Alkharaz had decided that he couldn’t take it any longer. The bloodshed, constant hunger, ongoing incineration of his country plus the daily news of the onslaught of loved ones - was all taking its toll on him. He didn’t want to live anymore.

We were determined we were not going to lose Naser, after all the time spent encouraging and promising that hope had not abandoned him. Our tireless efforts paid off.

Over the past number of days, with all the right paperwork in order and with just enough energy left in him, Naser miraculously managed to cross The Rafah Border, the point between Egypt and Palestines Gaza Strip, leaving behind the unimaginable horror inflicted by Israel and in it, the remaining surviving members of his family.

I first came into contact with Naser last year via social media. It was International Peace Day and I highlighted the need for an end to all war. It caught Naser’s attention. We shared similar stories about growing up in countries plagued by war and the misconceptions associated by those on the outside trying to make sense of it all. Naser expressed his endless love for music, particularly rap and Michael Jackson who he cites as being his biggest influence in wanting to pursue performing. He spoke fondly about his work teaching music in schools to children, most of whom otherwise grow up with little aspirations due to the oppression administered upon them from their neighbours. I discovered many interesting things about life in Gaza, how enriched it was with not just Palestinians, but other nationalities and his Jewish friends who he held in such high regard (and still does). I learnt about his desire to swim in a swimming pool, to walk in a forest, eat popcorn, visit the movies. He didn’t know what Uber was or Air BnB, or many applications that we rely on so heavily in the Western world.

Fast forward to October 7th 2023. Naser, like many of his peers, was horrified to learn of what had happened to innocent civilians across the border. He, like many others of his generation, never voted for Hamas to dictate their country and had no choice but to accept them as the political leaders of Palestine.

Things quickly went from bad to worse. The world that he knew would never be the same again. Naser often acknowledged life growing up in a concrete prison with limited freedom but it was all he knew and he was happy there with his family by his side.

Almost daily, I would speak to him, although on countless occasions internet for him was scarce. The endless noise of bombing rang out in the background. Naser had been separated from loved ones, sleeping on a concrete floor without blankets, using a T-shirt as a pillow. I would be consumed with sickening guilt each time we conversed, knowing I’d have a bed to lay down in that evening whilst he shivered and babbled away to me, on occasions incoherently. Exhausted. Starving. Thirsty.

He would try to sleep like this for a long time, but expressed how he would never actually ‘sleep’ as the fear of the building collapsing on top of him played out in loops in his head as he lay on the ground alone in the dark.

As the days went on, Naser continued to find new ways to survive. His guitar and notepad never leaving his side. He would write songs about each passing day, the lifeless bodies on the the streets and questioned when his turn would be next. His lyrics intertwined with his hopes for a future, for Palestine to be free. Many of his friends and loved ones would go on to lose their lives along the way. Trying to keep his spirit uplifted was an excruciatingly challenging feat.

Along with some charitable contacts in the US, we managed to get enough money for him to get food, although at one point the money became useless as there was nothing left to buy. That’s when Naser’s mood took a drastic turn for the worse.

Through it all, he kept going, never losing sight of his dreams to live freely, to sing to audiences, to share his artistry with the world.

With his guitar across his back, this past week he crossed the border and with help from my contacts in Egypt, I managed to secure some accommodation for him. He has little possessions and (understandably) is suffering from post traumatic stress from enduring the genocide inflicted on his people. It’s a lot for him to take in, being in a new land with much adjusting to the world outside of what he has only ever known in Gaza. Despite this, he is holding up but needs a lot of support in the next chapter of his journey.

This is where you become part of his story. Your support and contributions in helping Naser, means that we can get him legal help, food, clothing, toiletries and basic items. Legal help and travel cost's will be where most of the money will be used for. There are visa application costs, travel costs and future accommodation expenses that are causing him to feel additional stress despite being in a safe environment.

We are calling upon countries to help in whatever way possible. Naser dreams of starting a life in Ireland where my family can offer him shelter and a new start. He is a refugee, a survivor of war with no place to call home, alone and paranoid, missing his family. We hope that one day soon we are able to secure their safety across the border, before it’s too late.

In the coming weeks, I will visit Naser in Egypt with the aim to get him out of the country - what that entails for now is uncertain but I have vowed to never abandon him as his fight for survival continues. Thank you. Seány.

Naser’s song for Palestine: