We must not succumb to despair, Palestinians need our help

Renee Lewis

As someone who lived in Palestine, made lifelong friends there and spent a decade working as a journalist, I had seen the devastation Israel left behind with each brutal attack on the defenceless people of Gaza. The impact on civilians, especially children, in the densely populated territory, was always disturbing for anyone who cared to read about Israel’s attacks. But I could not have ever imagined Israel would carry out the level of destruction and mass extermination it has since October 7.

The official death toll in Gaza has come close to 40,000 by now. An article published by medical journal The Lancet in June estimates that it could reach at least 186,000 – that is 8 percent of Gaza’s population. In addition, more than 90,000 people have been wounded, many with life-altering injuries. The majority of casualties are women and children.

Watching the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza has been soul-wrenching and I, like so many other people, have felt helpless and guilty.

No amount of shocking images of dead Palestinian children, and no amount of reports about war crimes being committed by Israel have managed to sway world leaders to actually do something to stop Israel. Protesting and pleading have seemingly done nothing to convince governments to act. The complete disregard for Palestinian lives by our leaders has been frustrating.

Meanwhile, I – like millions of other people in the West – have no worries about war or occupation in my daily life. I feel guilty I am safe here in the United States, while my government is funding and arming genocidal Israel.

Seeing images and videos of parents picking up their dead children from the rubble of homes and schools has been heart-wrenching. I have a little daughter and I can’t imagine the helplessness and rage I would feel if I were a Palestinian parent in Gaza.

I have tried my best to fight this paralysis of helplessness and guilt. I have checked regularly with friends in the West Bank and tried to help with whatever I can. Through them, I have often heard heartbreaking stories about people they know in Gaza.

But there has been one story that stuck with me. An old friend in Ramallah told me about Ahmed*, a father from Gaza, who got stuck in the occupied West Bank after October 7, while his whole family remained in the Strip. Ahmed had come to the West Bank to seek treatment for a medical problem he had. When the war started, he wanted to go back but could not find a way.

He was living with the constant pain of separation and dread that something could happen to his family. The stress of not being able to protect his wife and kids was worsening his health condition.

Ahmed had heard about GoFundMe campaigns that raise money to help evacuate Palestinian families from Gaza by paying the fees required by Egyptian brokers – about $5,000 per person. There were some success stories of fundraising that had given him hope that he could get his loved ones to safety, as well.