Through the Static

By Hannah Saunders

25-year-old Mahdi is a physical therapist who volunteered at the Al Aqsa Hospital who, for years, has been seeking medical care and food for his father and family in Gaza throughout the ongoing bombardments and horrific genocide Israel has carried out with the backing of the U.S. Over the past few months, Mahdi was able to get in touch with the World Health Organization (WHO) to get his father out, who has been going blind and needs surgery, but they are stuck in a “medical quarantine that feels more like a prison,” he said.

“We are being treated with such cruelty and injustice,” Mahdi told TtS. “We need to cover my father’s urgent surgeries and medical costs the moment we are released. Our goal isn’t just to survive this quarantine, but to save the rest of our family still in Gaza.” 

Mahdi has been the breadwinner of his family, which includes his parents and his younger brother and sister, surviving the death-trap humanitarian aid sites Israel set up. Due to what little aid is being allowed in, the costs of food and medications are exorbitant, with one pound of flour costing about $60. Many in Gaza are still without sources of income or work due to the mass destruction Palestinians have been subjected to. 

During the fall and winter, the family was living in a displacement tent and overcame the massive flooding, which many others did not survive. The impact this genocide has had on Mahdi is highly visible, with his previously full and youthful cheeks becoming gaunt, as his sparkling brown skin has shifted to pale, and his head has begun to bald. 

“My family and I are living through unbearable hunger— days pass with no food, no medicine, and certainly no tomorrow. The cries of children echo through the night, and the pain of helplessness is crushing us,” Mahdi previously told TtS. 

Although his immediate family is quarantined after finally being connected to the WHO, Mahdi’s continued survival and path forward are an uphill battle. Their land has been demolished by bombs and chemicals; they’ve lived in inhumane conditions with severe health complications; and their bodies are suffering from the long-term consequences of forced starvation and hunger. Mahdi’s family has survived this far, in large part due to mutual aid and crowdfunding efforts, which have been verified by the Butterfly Effect Project, a mutual aid collective.

Now in Egypt, Mahdi is continuing to fundraise to help pay for his father’s eye surgery; he was born with a rare human condition, and the lack of access to medication has worsened his vision. 

“Our goal isn’t just to survive this quarantine, but to save the rest of our family still in Gaza,” Mahdi said. “Please, help us reunite and heal. Every bit of support is a lifeline for us.” 

Donate to support Mahdi’s family now at chuffed.org/project/157568-help-my-father-from-losing-his-vision-help-my-family. 

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