Please help the Qarmout family get safe from Gaza

[I am posting this write up on behalf of my dear friend Mohammed Qarmout]

My name is Mohammed. Born to Ghada and Issa in Gaza, I am the eldest of 6 children: Mohammed, Rami, Ismail, Ibrahim, Rafeef, and Malak. Our home was located at the very north of Gaza (Tala Alzaetar) having sight of the north border to Israel.

For six long months, 7 members of our family have struggled for shelter, food, clean water, and have seen horror that we wish no one else to ever have to witness. The story of my family and of our struggles is below.

We are desperately and humbly asking for your assistance to raise the funds needed to get our family to safety. The money will be used towards a service to get all of our family out of Gaza and to get us established in a place of safety. I desperately need my sisters to get back to school, and to ease the excruciating stress and anxieties of my parents.

Here is our story

Within 24 hours of the start of the war, our house’s roof was hit by a bomb. A few hours later at 1AM, the IDF told us we had 5 minutes to evacuate and to head for the city of Khan Younis. Leaving no room for us to take anything with us, just the clothing we are still wearing 6 months later. We watched our home be demolished.

Amidst the chaos of war in Gaza, our courageous 50-year-old mother, Ghada, faces an added challenge: deep vein thrombosis in her leg. Despite relentless bombings, her physical pain and uncertainty for her children, she is always smiling while putting a positive spin on our meagre situation.

My weary father, Isaa, aged 54, faces ruin because of this war. His once vibrant home reduced to rubble, the dreams for his children are shattered. With no livelihood, he is haunted by continuous thinking of ways to keep his family fed and sheltered.

My siblings are:

In mid-2023, Rami fled Sudan's civil war returning to Gaza to seek the comfort of home…now he finds himself amidst Gaza's devastation. Using his knowledge of medicine, he risks his life to volunteer in what little remains of Gaza’s hospitals aiding the injured. Despite the danger, Rami's compassion drives him to help where he can.

Before the war, Ismail was unable to find work in Palestine even with his university degree before the war. He purchased a car and was working as a taxi driver. His car was destroyed along with our house. Now, he fights daily to gather what little food and water he can for our family.

Ibrahim, aspiring to be a doctor, was studying in Egypt when the war started. Motivated by empathy for his family, friends and fellow Palestinians, he's driven to help those affected by conflict.

Rafeef and Malak, two beautiful and innocent girls previously untouched by war or conflict, now strive to assist their mother amidst the chaos. Despite their youth, their determination to aid their family speaks volumes about their resilience and compassion in the face of adversity.

Shortly after the start of the war we followed the directions of the IDF and headed to Khan Younis. Once there we lived on the street, continuously searching for food and water, and having erected a make-shift “tent” on a side street. Within days of setting up, the city was targeted and we were wrestled towards the southern city of Rafah.

In Rafah we again cobbled together a shelter and have now been eking out an existence day to day…struggling for food, water and shelter from other desperate families.

We pray for peace for all. I beg for relief for my parents and siblings.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about our family.

And thank you very much for your contribution to our safety and our freedom.

حسبي الله ونعم الوكيل

(hasabi allah waniem alwakil)