of all the things that scare me about palestine one of them is the lure of the story, the lure of turning people to myths, because its something i find myself doing. many things that have happened in gaza have become much larger than life. i keep thinking about khaled nabhan, who held his granddaughter so tenderly and called her the soul of my soul, and how those words and that image became so enormous that he was killed a year later wearing a t-shirt that a company had made to fundraise using those words—the soul of my soul. a doctor had brought it in for him from abroad. he was already a myth before he was dead.
i thought about it just now when i saw this image of dr hussam abu safiya walking towards an israeli tank after his "hospital fell" — the words of the poet mosab abu toha, that he used unconsciously in how he described the israeli siege of the last remaining hospital in the north of gaza. he said the hospital fell like it was a fortress. dr hussam abu safiya's teenage son was killed the first time israel raided the hospital. for over a month he refused to abandon his patients while he grieved. in that time we found out other hospital directors had been tortured after being arrested by israeli: doctor muhamed abu silmiya of al-shifa hospital (who was released after months of torture) and doctor adnan al-bursh who was tortured to death. in that month of starvation we saw him comforting his colleagues who lost their children to israeli attacks, and then he lost those colleagues themselves in israeli shelling of the hospital. still the hospital stayed, and dr hussam abu safiya stayed. he recorded a video from inside the hospital almost every day, showing the immobile patients and the brave staff, explaining that he would not abandon them. a delegation from indonesia made it to the hospital and tried to stay with the palestinian staff, israel forced them to leave at gunpoint. dr hussam stayed through it all.
after two months of siege, after ethnically cleansing the rest of northern gaza, israel finally forced its way into kamal adwan hospital and forcibly evacuated the staff and the patients. fifty people were killed during the attack, numerous patients and civilians (including women) stripped and abused by the soldiers, and forced to march in their underwear out in the freezing cold. and finally this is how we get this image, the last time dr hussam abu safiya was seen as israel burned down the hospital he had done his best for, walking alone through the rubble towards the israeli tanks, knowing what awaits him:
a lot of the things happening in gaza right now and over the past year are much larger than most people can accept. they are acts of heroism and tragedy that demand to be remembered. and because palestinians have asked us to bear witness, at least to bear witness, we have fallen into the habit of a kind of mythologizing. in arabic and english. i've seen it from gazans themselves, who have often written their own eulogies and wills before dying. this is how systemic this genocide has been. how forecasted. how foretold.
i think a lot about refaat al areer's work, and his famous poem "if i must die" that he wrote before his death. refaat is another story from gaza that was already mythologized by none other than himself. but i also know people who knew refaat personally. they don't talk about him like a story. they talk about him like a friend they lost. they talk about him like a teacher they lost. when that happens the mythology around him seems very small and worthless compared to the scale of the loss.
people from gaza aren't predestined myths. they're not dead people walking. they're not heroes we are here to watch die. they're not stories and tragedies to mine. they're people. this is a person who has just lived through all that. these are hundreds of thousands of people who just lived through all of these things. these are hundreds of thousands of people who have lost all of these things. and israel is full of people who did that to them. that's a story too, i guess.
@danashehab has been fundraising since may and is just over €15,000 away from their goal l. as stated in the screenshot people are starting to believe the rafah crossing will open so it’s important to make sure everyone has the funds in case they are allowed to evacuate.
thee shehab family consists of dana (13), sahar (14), mona (9), malak (5), yehya (1.5), fahed, (38), reem (32), and grandmother mona (60). they have been shadowbanned and deleted a few times. you can also find this family at @monashehab
EDIT AUG 24:
The family has had to raise their goal to cover their extended family’s evacuation fees since they are unable to make a new GFM.
The new goal is €85,000.
My name is Sahar Shehab. I am 14 years old from Gaza .
I ask you for urgent h… Ahmed Shamia needs your support for Help Sahar and Her Famil
Thank you my friends for helping me. Please continue to donate so I can reach my goal of 85k. I need this so I can save my children and get them to safety and live in peace. We are facing a terrible situation. The bombing is very close to us and the danger is great and surrounds us. Time is running out. My children are in a state of extreme terror. Please continue to donate, we are confident that you will not let us down.
My friends please help me reach 80.5k . I am only €117 away from the amount.
Tagging some people to help by donating and/or sharing:🙏🙏🙏
Rabah has asked me to attach this message from him:
I will keep this short since I think more people will read it in full if I do. I am making this post on behalf of Rabah to highlight the fundraiser campaign raising money for medical treatment for his father Monis, who has cancer and needs medication, medical exams, and radiotherapy urgently (more info here on Rabah's blog). These funds will first and foremost go to Monis' treatment, and also to buying food, shelter, and supplies for the winter. If you are able to donate, please do. This fundraiser was reblogged by @90-ghost.
My name is Darius, an electrical engineer from California. I'm… Darius Rudominer needs your support for Help Monis and Family Escape Gaza fo
Don't ignore me my friend, I need your help. I am here dying and no one is helping me. Please don't ignore me and help me as much as you can. 💔🥺🍉
I am Munis, I live in Gaza, I am besieged in Khan Yunis, I suffer from cancer, and my wife suffers from liver disease , I cannot take care of my children because of the situation in Gaza . My wife and I need urgent health care , There is no opportunity for us to receive treatment in Gaza , I cannot provide food and water for my family because of the high prices in Gaza due to the war I cannot provide the least livelihood for my family I can't spare the money to take care of her
My friend, I am a cancer patient and I need urgent health care. I am a cancer patient and I need medicine that costs $ 100 every three days
I can't afford it in this short time. Also my friend, I have children and a big family to take care of. I can't afford to feed them. I wish and then I beg you my friend to donate to me and help me. I will not forgive you if you are able to help me and donate to me and you don't. I am a human being with cancer and I need all your help. Please help us. 💔💔🍉
Rabah has asked me to attach this message from him:
I will keep this short since I think more people will read it in full if I do. I am making this post on behalf of Rabah to highlight the fundraiser campaign raising money for medical treatment for his father Monis, who has cancer and needs medication, medical exams, and radiotherapy urgently (more info here on Rabah's blog). These funds will first and foremost go to Monis' treatment, and also to buying food, shelter, and supplies for the winter. If you are able to donate, please do. This fundraiser was reblogged by @90-ghost.
My name is Darius, an electrical engineer from California. I'm… Darius Rudominer needs your support for Help Monis and Family Escape Gaza fo
Don't ignore me my friend, I need your help. I am here dying and no one is helping me. Please don't ignore me and help me as much as you can. 💔🥺🍉
I am Munis, I live in Gaza, I am besieged in Khan Yunis, I suffer from cancer, and my wife suffers from liver disease , I cannot take care of my children because of the situation in Gaza . My wife and I need urgent health care , There is no opportunity for us to receive treatment in Gaza , I cannot provide food and water for my family because of the high prices in Gaza due to the war I cannot provide the least livelihood for my family I can't spare the money to take care of her
My friend, I am a cancer patient and I need urgent health care. I am a cancer patient and I need medicine that costs $ 100 every three days
I can't afford it in this short time. Also my friend, I have children and a big family to take care of. I can't afford to feed them. I wish and then I beg you my friend to donate to me and help me. I will not forgive you if you are able to help me and donate to me and you don't. I am a human being with cancer and I need all your help. Please help us. 💔💔🍉
hi!!! @haniyassersposts has asked me to spotlight his campaign. he is the brother of ibrahim @wolf-aid who has a special place in my heart. i know long posts do not do much for these campaigns anymore so i'll try to be brief. hani is caring for his large family, which includes young children. they need these funds for their survival especially as winter rages on and the occupation tears through more and more of gaza each day.
if you have anything at all to give, PLEASE give. everyone's campaigns are slowing down and i fear that it's apathy causing this. i don't want any of us to grow apathetic
"From the Rubble to Hope: I am Hani, and my surviving family,… Hani Alanqar needs your support for "Help me and my family escape the genocid
"Thank you so much for sharing my story and writing this post. Your words and support mean a lot to me and my family. I am deeply grateful for your kindness and for helping me reach others. Thank you for your care."
"Your donation is not just financial support; it is a new hope and a lifeline for a family that has lost everything. Through your generosity, we can regain some stability and build a better future. Every contribution makes a difference, no matter how small. Thank you for your compassion and humanity."
Hi! Just want to draw your attention to Ahmed Dawoud's (@kmhan89) gofundme campaign because it is really stagnant and he has 3 young children.
Ahmed and his wife Nour have 3 children: Kamel, Mohammed and Hamza. The oldest is only 5 years old and Hamza was born only 2 months before this genocide. Their beautiful house has been completely destroyed, and he has only finished renovating his house 5 days before this genocide began! Ahmed's small business was also completely destroyed by tanks, leaving him without a source of income.
Please give them more support! He is fundraising to buy basic necessities and to evacuate himself and his family from Gaza!
Hello everyone, help me fundraising for my brother Ahmed and his family „wife and … Ola Dawoud needs your support for Help a family of three
Vetted! Ahmed's campaign is #351 on @/gazavetters vetted list!
Very stagnant campaign! Only €5,067 raised of €20K goal! Last donation was 6 months ago! Ahmed has had his gfm campaign since February!
My name is Hala, from Deir al-Balah, Gaza. I live with my four children, Abdul, Jaber, Mohammed, and Lian, and my mother-in-law, in a never-ending nightmare. Our home was bombed, and everything we had turned to ashes. Now, we live in a burnt house, with no safety or hope.
My husband, Adham, is stuck in Egypt, and I face this torment alone. My children suffer from hunger and illness, and we have nothing to protect them. Life here is unbearably difficult; every day is a struggle for survival.
I urgently need your help to raise $35,000 so we can escape, as each person requires $5,000. This money isn’t just numbers; it’s our hope for a new life away from pain and suffering. We are human beings who deserve to live, so please don’t let us drown in this nightmare.
Help us, as we are in desperate need of your support.
Hello friends, family, community members and conscious people of the world… Hala Mushtaha needs your support for Support Hala's Family Seeki
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