Supporting CfP Activists With Family in Gaza
We write on behalf of two beloved Combatants for Peace activists, Fatima Sobah and Ahmed Helou. Their families are currently trapped in Gaza and are in dire need of support as they face acute danger and a severe lack of food, water, and medicine. In solidarity with Fatima and Ahmed, we are amplifying their GoFundMe fundraisers and asking our community to share them widely. Donations will not go to AFCFP/CfP but instead will go directly to Fatima’s and Ahmed's families to help them evacuate Gaza and get to safety. Please note that they both have separate fundraising pages for each of their families.
Fatima is a mother of two young children, a Gazan, and CfP’s Palestinian Freedom School Coordinator. Many of you heard from Fatima last year when she shared how, in 2014, a bomb hit her family’s home in Gaza and she was trapped under the rubble for eight days until the Red Cross rescued her. Fatima is now living in Bethlehem but her mother, father, siblings, and many relatives still reside in Gaza. We spoke to Fatima recently and she shared,
“My words compete with my thoughts. I have so much to say but do not know where to begin. My pain is great, my sadness is deep. I think of my family every moment of every day. After last week’s attack on Rafah, I lost contact with my two sisters and their families. They were sheltering in tents in Rafah during the bombing. They believed that they were in a safe place, but there is no longer any safety. I try to console myself and convince myself that they are still in Rafah and not dead. The sadness is deep, and the pain is intense. I fear I have lost them forever. After eight months since the start of the war, my family has been separated between tents, asylum centers, and destroyed homes...
My father has begun to suffer from an inability to walk and he needs constant medication, in addition to the continual need for the necessities of life such as food and water. Of my parents, 14 brothers and sisters, their spouses, and their children, I am the only family member who has left Gaza. They all are relying on me and I am their only hope. A few months ago my niece, Wafaa, had her leg amputated without anesthesia as a result of the violence. She has suffered so much. In the photo below, she is being held by my sister-in-law, Samia. Her sister Taghreed is sitting to her right, covering her ears. Taghreed is a newlywed and became a widow during this war. Since the start of the war, one of my sisters and one of my sisters-in-law have given birth under dire conditions. I humbly ask you to help me help my family reach safety. I also ask you to share the story and stand with us in the most difficult times of our lives. My goal is to ensure my family’s continued survival. I thank you for this initiative and I thank every person who thinks of me and helps me.”
Ahmed Helou is a long-term member of Combatants for Peace and he and his wife have lost over 60 relatives in Gaza since October 7th. You may recognize him as one of the keynote speakers from this year’s Joint Memorial Ceremony. Below are some of his words,
“My name is Ahmed, I was born to a refugee family that was forced to flee from their home in 1948. Most of my relatives went to Gaza, while my parents fled to Jericho. For years, my family and I have been involved in coexistence and peace work, and for years I have worked as an activist with Combatants for Peace. We believe deeply in peace and nonviolence. My family has suffered immensely during this war. My wife and I have lost over 60 members of our extended family, including parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We are desperate to ensure that no more of our family members are lost.
My one remaining sister, Eman, and her five children are still alive. We are desperate to save them. Every day we awake in fear of what news will come, of who we will have lost. We are raising money to help Eman and her five children: Asma, Basmalla, Estabraq, Abdulrahman, and Tamer, as well as Asma’s two children, Tariq (7 years old) and Farah (5 years old) escape Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, a dangerous and expensive process. I hope that I will be able to reunite with my sister and her family and that we will be able to live together in peace, safety, and security. All we want is to live together without fear. We are scared for our children’s lives and are doing all we can to protect them from the violence in this region. With your help, we can save my sister and her family. My sister is sick and needs medical treatment as soon as possible. Please help us in any way that you can. Share our link and spread our story. Your gift can and will save many lives.”
We thank you for standing with Combatants for Peace’s activists during this time. As they face the unthinkable, your love, solidarity, and generosity can help save lives and renew hope.