Help my family evacuate Gaza

Peace and Blessings,

My name is Danya. I am a Palestinian American living in Northern Virginia. Some of you may know me from MakeSpace, where I'm often seen capturing moments on camera or serving chai and assisting with donations during Friday Prayer. Perhaps you've seen me advocating for Palestine in the corridors of Capitol Hill with Islamic Relief USA or Code Pink. Or maybe this is the first time you're hearing about me. Today, however, my focus is not on my story.

Many of you are aware that my father's family resides in Gaza. Originating from the Ramle district, about 40 miles north of Gaza, they were displaced during the Nakba in 1948, settling in Gaza as refugees. For years, they lived in UNICEF-provided tents until they could build a home—a home that stood for 75 years before it was obliterated in the siege on Gaza. This devastation has left every single member of my direct family without a home, with their residences turned to rubble.

My relatives are now living in extremely challenging conditions, crowded with distant family members, seeking refuge in UN schools, or sleeping in tents, facing a dire lack of essentials like clean water, food, and electricity.

The war has personally affected my family in tragic ways. Just 2 days into the assault on Gaza my cousin, Tarek, who was a bank teller dedicated to serving his community, was killed by an Israeli airstrike while at work. That attack didn't just claim his life; it also wiped out an entire business district, claiming over 40 other innocent lives. He left behind a grieving wife and three young children, now fatherless.

My cousin Usama who seeking shelter with his daughter and her family after his own home in the north was destroyed, met a similar fate. He, his daughter Islam, his son-in-law Muhammad, and his little baby grandson Suhayb, who had just celebrated his first birthday were all killed in an airstrike in the middle of the night.

This is a Facebook post he made when baby Suhayb was born.

Translation:

The first grandchild is a piece of the heart and part of the soul, and dearer than the children. You, my grandchild, are my primary happiness that made me truly appreciate the value of life. I know that there is still in this world what is worth joy. Every day as I see you grow and become more and more beautiful in my eyes, may God protect my grandchild with His ever-watchful eye and grant him happiness, luck, and make him among the righteous and dutiful. My grandchild has made life beautiful despite itself. You are a blessing from the Lord of the Worlds. Suhayb.

Ghadeer, my cousin Abdel Kareem’s wife lost her entire family - her grandmother and grandfather, her two brothers Ayub and Adhem, and her dear sister Ayat- who was a dedicated journalist. All of them gone in a the blink of an eye.

My aunt Suzanne and her daughter Abla were admitted to a hospital after suffering third degree burns from artillery fire, without any anesthetics and essential medications - their pain and agony unimaginable.

In these times of despair, my family's resilience is remarkable, yet the escalating crisis has pushed some of them to their limits. My cousin Yasmin, now in Rafah, has reached out for urgent assistance to escape the harrowing conditions in Gaza. She narrates her once joyful life shattered by the conflict, her home destroyed, and her future bleak. She pleads for help to evacuate and save her family from the ongoing genocide. This is the message I received from Yasmin to share with you all:

مرحبا للجميع

انا ياسمين علي اسماعيل حجاج

نازحة في رفح من غزة

في بدايه الامر كانت حياتي سعيدة وجيدة حتي اتت الحرب على غزة ودمرت كل مستقبلي واحلامي واخذت كل ما جمعته خلال فترة حياتي في الحرب تم تدمير منزلنا وقتل بعض من عائلتي والاصدقاء المقربون لدي تم قصف منزلي وتدميره بالكامل بعدما جلست اعمل واشتغل على نفسي لاقوم ببناء منزلي ومنزل عائلتي ولكن ضاع حلمي وبيتي ومستقبلي وكل ما امتلك وحتى فقدنا اموالنا وملابسنا ونقيم الان بخيم لا تقي من برد ولا من حر ومانتعرض له من أمراض واوبئه وانتشار مرض الكبد الوبائي وتعرضنا للجوع والمجاعه والتجويع حتى اكلنا أعلاف الحيوانات إلى أن نفدت والتهجير وحرب الاباده وقتل النساء والاطفال فى الطرقات بعد ما تم نزوحنا بالارهاب تحت النار وألقي علينا قدائف الفسفور والاسلحه المحرمة دوليا الي ان وصلنا لآخر منطقة نزوح وهي رفح ع الحدود المصريه ، فإلي أين بعد رفح ؟ لا ندري !!

وبعد ما راينا اننا نموت ونحن امنون في بيوتنا اردت ان اغادر البلد لانقاذ روحي وارواح عائلتي ولكن الامر صعب جدا لان سعر التنسيق للخروج خارج غزة يكلف الكثير الكثير فارجو منكم المساعدة لانقاذ ارواح اطفالي و عائلتي ،ارجوكم انقذونا من الابادة فلا يوجد لدينا ماؤي او عمل فارجو المساعدة

Translation: “Hello everyone, I am Yasmin Ali Ismail Hajjaj, a displaced person in Rafah from Gaza. At the beginning, my life was happy and good until the war on Gaza came and destroyed all my future and dreams, taking everything I had gathered during my life. In the war, our house was destroyed, some of my family and close friends were killed. My home was bombed and completely destroyed after I had worked and labored to build my house and my family's house, but my dream, my home, my future, and all that I owned were lost. We even lost our money and clothes, and now we live in a tent that protects neither from cold nor heat, and we suffer from diseases and epidemics, including the spread of hepatitis, and we have faced hunger and famine to the point where we ate animal feed until it ran out. We have faced displacement, genocide, and the killing of women and children in the streets after being displaced by terror under fire, and phosphorus shells and internationally banned weapons were fired at us until we reached the last displacement area, which is Rafah at the Egyptian border. So where to after Rafah? We do not know!! After seeing that we are dying while we thought we were safe in our homes, I wanted to leave the country to save my life and the lives of my family, but it is very difficult because the crossing fee to leave Gaza is very expensive. So, I ask for your help to save the lives of my children and my family, please save us from the genocide, as we have no water or work, I beg for help."

We are launching a fundraiser to support Yasmin and her three young children, Musab age 5, Ola age 4, and Misk age 3, in their urgent need to relocate to Egypt through the Rafah crossing.

How the Funds Will Be Used:

The majority of the donations will go toward covering crossing charges, which are mandatory fees levied by a travel agency named "Ya Hala" in Egypt. This agency is taking advantage of Palestinian suffering in Gaza and is the only agency that provides access to Egypt. The crossing fees range from $5,000 to $6,000 for each individual, encompassing the journey from the Rafah crossing to Cairo, though these fees are subject to daily changes. Any extra funds will be allocated for providing Yasmin and her children with temporary accommodation, nourishment, healthcare, and essential necessities while they establish themselves in Egypt temporarily.

I will personally oversee the allocation and distribution of all contributions to assist my family directly.

Your support is vital in helping them navigate this difficult phase. How you can contribute: Every donation, regardless of its size, can have a significant impact. Please help by sharing this campaign and spreading awareness.

I am profoundly grateful for any assistance you can provide and cherish the solidarity of each one of you.

Sincerely,

Danya