Dear friends, from all the peoples of the free world, we are now on the brink of destruction. We no longer have a roof over our heads, not even a mat to sit on.

Today, as a family of five, we struggle to survive, deprived of the most basic conditions for a decent life: no shelter, no safety, not even food or drink, and no clear future in sight. This grief was exacerbated by our forced displacement from our modest home in Gaza City, south of the Strip, after the family home was destroyed, along with all its memories and possessions.

We are the family of the famous Palestinian artist Fathi Ghaben who passed away in the Gaza war due to lack of medicine and oxygen. We turn to you in the spirit of our compassionate and loving father, asking for whatever assistance you can, perhaps purely humanitarian. We address you today, a grieving and broken family, with hearts filled with pain and sadness. We address your living conscience. We address every person with a conscience.

My younger brother was critically injured in this war and is receiving treatment, but we need him to travel to save him. We need to reach Egypt as soon as possible, as the cost of an urgent operation is $6,555. We also need some food and medicine for my mother, as she underwent surgery and needs some medications to complete her treatment. We also need to save the rest of our family from having to travel outside Gaza, to reach safety, as there is no longer a place to live. Our home was destroyed, and my father's artwork was torn apart under the rubble of our house. My father's artwork was the future of the family. It is my father's legacy, years of hard work. Our lives have grown long, but we have no future left. My father passed away after a bitter journey of illness and suffering. The destruction of his artwork exacerbated his health and was a profound shock. His health deteriorated further when he left, an elderly man, from the north of the Gaza Strip to the south, inhaling the fumes and soot of war. His only hope was to breathe some air, but unfortunately, he was prevented from doing so, and the occupation did not allow him to leave the Gaza Strip for treatment.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a significant and qualitative difference in our lives. Your contribution will help rebuild our lives and perpetuate the memory of Fathi Ghaben. With your generosity, we can pave the way for survival and restore hope and dignity to our family. Thank you for your kindness and love,

The family of the late Palestinian artist Fathi Ghaben (Roboa, Khaled, Wassam, Ismail, and Fayza)

Fathi Ghaben dedicated his life to the Palestinian cause, love, and peace, and received numerous international awards, including the Medal of the Federation of Associations in Tokyo, Japan. He was named Palestinian Artist of the Year in 1993 and honored as Personality of the Year by the European Union Representative and the Norwegian Ambassador. Attached is a photo of him with the European Union Representative and the Norwegian Ambassador. He received the Medal of Creativity from the President of the State and numerous awards, immortalizing the stories of our people through his powerful art. His passion and courage never faltered, even in the face of adversity. In his youth, he was arrested by the Israeli occupation forces because of his works, which they confiscated and stole. Yet, he continued to create, resist, and inspire.

A note from the manager of the fundraiser: I am Eva Wu, a visual artist and a friend of Khaled's. I live in Philadelphia and am supporting this fundraiser as Gaben's family is unable to recieve funds directly from GoFundMe. I am able to direct the funds via international wire transfer. The family is located in Gaza currently and we are in regular communication via Whatsapp.