Gaza: Two Weeks After Our Wedding… We Lost Everything

Fatima was my colleague when I was working as a humanitarian worker in Gaza.

I lived with her for a while in our organization house after Fatima and her husband had to leave Gaza City and became displaced.

Being a young newly wed couple and having to leave with colleagues and their families is not short of a challenge. However Fatima was always extremely attentive to the good atmosphere in the house, never short of a kind word and ready to help others when needed.

I will always remember our conversations, her hopes and dreams, her optimism also and her trust that it will get better.

I got to leave Gaza, come back to my husband and live the life she cannot. In face of the terrible situation still unfolding she is now asking for support. You will find her words here:

My name is Fatima from Gaza — a name lovingly passed down from my grandmother, who wished for me a life filled with happiness and love.

In my mid-twenties, I found myself living that dream. I was married to a kind, hardworking man, and together, we were building a simple but beautiful life.

But in the blink of an eye, everything we had was lost.

Maher owned a small supermarket—it was our main source of income. I wanted to support him, so I started working as an accountant at a startup company. Together, we worked hard and built what we called our dream home.

It took a long, challenging journey to get married finally. Just a week before our wedding, we finished setting up our tiny apartment—small in size, but full of love,effort, and dreams. We got married, and just two weeks later… the war began. In the blink of an eye, everything we had built was gone.

Maher lost his supermarket—and with it his entire livelihood. Our home became a memory. Our dream of stability disappeared, and we found ourselves facing an uncertain future, with no clear path and no safe ground to stand on.

From a wedding dress, a groom’s suit, and hearts full of dreams…to a life filled with fear, loss, and unknowns. A future we can no longer define.

And now, everything is gone—the house , the supermarket … and even a part of us . Yet still, we try to hold on—to hope, to love, and to each other.

Your support—no matter how small—can help us rebuild from zero. It can help us think of a safer future, possibly even relocation. It will help us face the rising cost of living, secure our basic needs, and survive the hunger we face daily.

We lost everything—but not our hope. your support—no matter how small—can help us stand again, dream again, and build a life worth living ️. We cannot do it alone!

You’re not just helping us survive—you’re helping us believe we can live, love, and dream again.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. Thank you all in advance for your kindness and support .

With hope in our hearts,

Fatima Alqolaq & Maher Alhinde