Help bring Nabil and his family to safety in Egypt

I know so many of you share my anguish at the terrible situation in Gaza. Last week I received a desperate message from my lifelong Palestinian friend, Nabil, who told me "We are just managing basic primitive life under continuous threat of death." I have been supporting him financially for a while, but when I received that message, I realised I needed to do more to get him and his family to safety.

I know this is only a drop in the ocean, to help one family, out of the millions of Palestinians who are also suffering. I also do not forget the Israeli victims of Hamas's attack, or the plight of the hostages and their families. But at least we can try to make a life saving difference for one family. So, I have started this gofundme in the hope that we can at least help Nabil, his wife and their six children, aged from 24 to just 7 years old, raise $40,000 to cover their expenses to cross the border into Egypt.

I met Nabil when I was 21, on a study programme at Birzeit University in the West Bank. Nabil became my friend and guide; and I spent many weeks with him and his family, including at their home in a refugee camp in Gaza. Later, I helped him secure a scholarship to obtain a Masters degree in environmental engineering at Newcastle University in the UK. Nabil is an educated man, a gentle giant, and loving father, who was living peacefully, until as a result of Hamas's appalling attack on 7 October, he became, in his own words "caught between two evils" - as Israel conducts its response, affecting everyone in Gaza, and creating immense humanitarian suffering.

Nabil says "It has been more than six months of pure bloodshed, fear, displacement, and hunger, with no end in sight. All 8 of us are crammed in a room in Rafah south of Gaza after being displaced from our home in Gaza city. All of our belongings and family memories were wiped out when our home was bombed and destroyed. We lost our home but at least we don't want to lose our lives. Daily life for us is a misery trying to find food and staying safe under the nonstop bombing. We need to flee from the war zone as soon as possible, and cross to Egypt. It costs $5000 for each family members for border crossingfees, passport and insurance, and travel expenses - $40,000 in total. (approx 32,000 pounds sterling). Any small donation counts and can be a part of our hope to flee Gaza."

Again, I know that helping Nabil and his family is only a tiny humanitarian gesture against the magnitude of what is happening in Gaza. But, at least we can try to help them now - whilst also keeping pressure on our governments to do all they can to end the war, free the hostages, and renew diplomatic efforts to secure longer term safety for Israelis and Palestinians.

Please, please support this. Any amount helps. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Alex