As many of you know, some of the family has been able to evacuate to Egypt. Mahmoud, Eman, and Nahwal are now off of the hospital ship and are staying in an apartment in Egypt. We are now focused on continuing to support the family's daily living needs on both sides of the border.

About the AbuKhaleds: The AbuKhaleds are a Palestinian family of 22 from Gaza City: Mahmoud and Eman, and their children+spouses and grandchildren: Sabren (married to Wael, parents of Youssef, Mohammed, and a brand new baby boy), Mohammed (married to Rawan, parents of Jody, Ehad, Mahmoud and Jana), Mamoun (married to Maryam, parents of Nashaat and Mahmoud), Shahed (married to Abood), Amrea (to be married to Iyad), Amer (15), and Nawal (9).

Mahmoud and his family are long-time friends of a group of Islanders and Canadians, who met them through now deceased artist and poet Heather Spears. Since October, the family has been displaced at least four times, and their home has been cratered by an airstrike.

There is a severe lack of food, medical supplies, and clean water in Gaza. The threat of violence is constant: Eman’s sister and her four young children were all killed in July in an F-35 airstrike. There are constant reports from the family of people being killed in the street.

Please help the AbuKhaled family survive.

The only way out of Gaza that has been available to Palestinians has been through the Egyptian border. This route has been closed for nearly 2 years other than emergency WHO evacuations, which is how Mahmoud, Eman, and Nawal were able to escape. In the meantime, we have been sending life-sustaining funds directly to the AbuKhaleds to help them survive until they are all able to evacuate. Our fundraising goal is minimally $100,000 to support this family.

We are asking our community to continue this legacy of compassion and connection, and help make an enormous difference in the lives of the AbuKhaled family.

Who We Are: We are a group of Americans and Canadians working to help the AbuKahled family. In October, 1990, writer and artist Heather Spears met Mahmoud AbuKhaled, a Palestinian ambulance driver who responded to the Al-Aqsa mosque massacre in Jerusalem. Heather asked if she could draw and interview Mahmoud while he was working at the hospital treating victims. While working together, Mahmoud shared stories with Heather about his family, his life, and the Palestinian struggle. The conversations with the thoughtful, kind, and sharp Mahmoud sparked a friendship that would last their lifetimes.

Heather brought Mahmoud’s story to her community of Islanders and Canadians, who continued to support him as he married Eman, their family grew, and circumstances changed. The group would communicate regularly with the family, sending aid and gifts and receiving stories and photographs of the AbuKhaled family over the years. This group has expanded to include members of the San Juan Social Justice Collective.

How the funds will be spent and distributed: Funds raised will be used to pay to support the AbuKhaleds.