Happy holidays, friends! 💛

 

Mahmoud - We have a joyful update to share about our dear friend Mahmoud. He recently became engaged to a wonderful young woman named Shahd, and we are so happy for them as they begin this next chapter together.

 

Right now, Mahmoud is renovating a room in a family home so he and his future bride will have a safe, modest place to start their life together. We are continuing to raise funds to support his family’s daily needs and to help cover essential wedding and housing expenses.

 

Thank you, always, for standing with Mahmoud through every season—your kindness makes this hope possible. Wishing you a blessed, peaceful, and safe holiday.

 

Rola – “My wonderful, kind friends! Happy holidays to you all! I wish you a beautiful year and that all your wishes come true.

 

I wish the situation in Palestine were better so I could send you gifts, but my financial situation doesn't allow it. I love you all very much.

 

I hope you will donate to us; it would be a gift from you to my family. We need you and I can't do without you. Please don't abandon my family and my children, Mian and Rose. They need water, food, and warm clothes.

 

Once again, I wish you a wonderful holiday season.”

 

Ismail - Happy holidays! Thank you for continuing to support Ismail and Basel's family. The family is living in a very worn out tent and we continue to try to raise enough to repair or replace it. We hope you remember the children of Gaza in your giving this season! Have a safe and blessed new year.

 

Sara "Hi everyone, it's Sara. I know I'm not active on social media at all. The reason why is my psychological state. Actually, after the war is done another war inside me began. It's not easy at all losing everything. The war ended and now live your life, but which life?

 

Well, where is my home? Where is my school? Okay, I have finished my studies, but what is my heart's state after all this?

 

Even people, they are not the same. All of them are heartbroken. but the causes varies. I'm sorry, but this is a very short description about my feelings this period.

 

However, I'm trying to develop and improve even if I lose control most of times. With your help, I manage to have materials to study and improve, medication as it's limited, so it's expensive, and food . Thank you, guys You are incredibly kind. Sending love to you all. 

 

Please don't forget me this holiday season. Have a blessed and safe new year."

 

Abdallah - Abdallah and his family continue to survive day by day under incredibly difficult conditions. Their tent is deteriorating, and frequent illness has become a constant reality due to the harsh living environment in Gaza. His brothers, who are disabled, are especially vulnerable and continue to suffer as conditions worsen.

If you are able, please consider holding space for Abdallah’s family in your holiday giving. Your support helps them meet basic needs and endure another day with dignity. Thank you for caring.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this message. I pray you have a wonderful holiday surrounded by loved ones. Please remember those in Gaza as you come together and express gratitude for what you have. May 2026 be a year of peace for our families we love! We cannot sustain their lives without you.

HOLIDAY GREETING FROM THE 5 FAMS

Rola - "Hello, my dear friends. The war in Gaza has been declared over, but it hasn't truly ended. There are sporadic airstrikes every day that kill many and the war of hunger and the siege continues. 

Prices are still high and we need food, water and medicine. We also need blankets to keep the children warm because of the extreme cold. We also need to buy a large tent because our current one is too small and falling apart.

Our daughter Mayan is now 35 days old and needs milk and diapers daily. We also need blankets for my family, children's clothes and a new tent.

Thank you for your consideration and ongoing support!"

Ismail – “Thank you to everyone who continues to support my family. The children continue to grow and appreciate their meals of ramen and occasional fruit as a treat. Our family's tent is falling apart because of the winter rain and wind. We desperately need to raise $1000 to repair it and add tarps. Thank you for your consideration and your generosity. Please do not forget our family in your holiday giving this winter!

 

Abdallah – "Hello everyone, I wish you a holiday full of joy, happiness and peace of mind. 

I thank everyone who provides assistance to me and my family, who are in dire need of your help and support, especially my brothers who need to travel and receive treatment abroad.

I beg you, share my campaign and continue to donate to me, as we have no house, no clothes and a damaged tent that cannot shelter us from the winter cold.

We live without supplies in the tent, no battery for lighting at night. When night falls, the tent becomes as dark as pitch. 

I hope to see your donations, alongside my sister Alyson's, and that you will help me. Thank you always, I love you, you are my family, I love you."

 

Mahmoud –  Thank you to everyone who continues to support my family. Unfortunately, this week, my older brother Mohammed, 35 had to undergo an emergency leg amputation. 

It was incredibly stressful and terrifying, but he made it through and is now recovering. We need funds for medication and healthy food to aid his healing. 

Our family also continues to need support for a weekly debt payment installment of $500 from the cost of relocating and getting new tents earlier this year.

 

Sara - "Hi everyone who is reading my message right now. It has been a while since I posted an update.

I want you to know that I finally finished my last year of high school and successfully got 98.1% and I really appreciate your support during my studying. 

Now everything is different, as you know the war is supposedly gone, but we still have many dangerous moments. They still target people and airstrike.

We are trying to heal ourselves, even though it's hard and do what we can. I'm preparing for college and I'm trying to look for a change to study abroad, as you know everything is destroyed here. 

I need $250 for passport and travel documents, $200 for a prep course and $400 for my test fees.

Thank you so much. I appreciate you all for your support and friendship."

10/29/25 - Thank you to everyone who continues to support the work I do. Unfortunately, with the state of things in the US, donations are at an all time low and I'm struggling to meet any basic needs for my families in Gaza. Please, sacrifice something, even if it's small - your coffee order, Friday night DoorDash, anything and reroute those funds so I can distribute them to those in need. 

Updates: 

Ghazal - I am SO excited to share that Ghazal, her younger sister Hazar and her mother Mervat have ESCAPED Gaza. While I can't share any details or specifics for their safety, I can share that she is safe and we are figuring out next steps. They are accessing food, water and other basic needs.  

Unfortunately last night, the occ*pation k!lled over 22 of her relatives in Gaza. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Rola & Rose - Baby Mayan is healthy and happy with a full head of hair! She battled jaundice for a bit, but is recovering. The family needs funds to weatherproof their tent with tarps, warm blankets and get winter clothing, as well as buy diapers and formula. (With such poor nutrition, breastfeeding is not enough on its own in Gaza for any mother right now)

Ismail - Ismail and his family are still alive. They also need to weatherproof their tent and need funds to do so. The kids are cold and need winter clothing as well. His family is surviving on very little food.

Sara - Sara has completed her exams and now we wait for the results, which I know will be PASSED PASSED PASSED! She and her family need around $2000 to weatherproof their shelter and get winter clothes.

Mahmoud - Mahmoud and the kids are alive, and trying to stay that way! The bombs have been landing extremely close to where they are. Mahmoud describes it as "hell on Earth" and has no idea from moment to moment if they'll live or die. We need funds to continue to pay down his travel debt from leaving the north during the onslaught of violence by the I*F.

Please do what you can. I know we are all struggling to make ends meet, but Christmas is coming and we can all make very small sacrifices that can add up. Together we can sustain everyone and provide them with what they need during these winter months. Please don't abandon our beautiful families now. We still have more to do!

10/10/25 - A temporary ceasefire has been announced in Gaza, but we must keep supporting our friends. The violence has only partially ceased and the borders are not yet open. They continue to need our allyship and love in action. Do not give up, do not look away.