Note: reposting this from my substack from October 2024
Faris is my friend in Gaza who I met several months ago. He reached out to me on Instagram and I started to learn more about his story. It was July and he had just evacuated Khan Yunis with his family, and they were forced to leave their tent behind and sleep on the street without shelter. He told me about his family, he has two brothers and two sisters. His youngest brother, Ibrahim is only 2 years old.
Before the war, Faris had been studying to become an engineer. Now he is doing everything he can make sure his family survives a genocide. I wanted to try to share his story with more people, and realized I can let him tell his story in his own words. I’ve typed out some snippets of conversations we’ve had over the past several months on Instagram and Whatsapp.
As you read his messages, I ask that you please try to imagine that these were text messages sent to you by one of your friends, brother, sister, son, daughter, or classmate. I hope Faris can help you put a name and face to the atrocities being committed in Gaza, to understand the pain and suffering that we are watching on our screens are happening to people who are no different than you or me. Faris’ liberation is connected to yours, and we all have a duty to care for one another as human beings.
October 11th, 2024: “Flour has become very expensive due to poor storage by traders, and clean flour without worms costs up to $130”
October 10th, 2024: “I planted some vegetables with the neighbors and they grew well, because its prices are expensive and we try to provide it with the least possible means”
October 10th, 2024: “There was an explosion in Khan Younis. I was close to the event.”
October 9th, 2024: “I hope the situation calms down, the military operation in the area ends, and my family can return to our tent.”
October 7th, 2024: “I want the world to stand by us as Palestinians and not support Israel, which kills children and innocents, and we have completed a full year of war. Is that reasonable?”
October 7th, 2024: “We just had several hits near us”
October 7th, 2024: “I’m trying to be okay, I’m nervous and confused. The occupation asked us a short while ago to evacuate the Khan Yunis area.”
October 7th, 2024: “I don’t know what to do people are evacuating. Nothing is on our hands, we can’t evacuate except by walking. I will take the risk and we will stay. I have to prepare enough food for a siege on all sides.”
October 1, 2024: “The situation has become very bad in Khan Yunis here. Occupation forces attack Khan Yunis with tanks and aircraft. It’s 3 am I don’t know, people were coming out and screaming from the surrounding areas.”
September 30th, 2024: “Hi Julia how are you? I am in east Khan Younis in the middle of the destruction can we talk video call so I can show you the destruction around me?”
September 28th, 2024: “ Thank God I am fine. I went to the east of Khan Yunis, to the village we where we lived before the war. Khuza’a village. It was a good trip but I felt sad and depressed, I remembered the beautiful memories. Here are some pictures I took”
September 23rd, 2024: “There are many priorities these days, especially since winter has arrived. Winter clothes, warm blankets, and diapers for my brother Ibrahim.”
September 21, 2024: “Flour has become expensive because most of it contains worms due to poor storage by traders. Clean flour without worms costs up to $90. Vegetables are known to be expensive. This is happening to us every day.”
September 21, 2024: “Thank God, today one of the activists who collects donations distributed food to our camp. I will try to work to help our entire camp but I need supporters. There are families here who are in dire need of food.”
September 15th, 2024: “My mother’s surgery has been postponed. It was supposed to be today. But we talked to the doctor because we could not afford the cost of the operation. What my mother is going through is causing me to suffer too. I have bad days.”
September 14th, 2024: “Our condition is very bad today. They scheduled my mom’s surgery. I don’t know how I will get the cost of the operation. I cut back on expenses today so much that we didn’t cook food. I am so sad I don’t know what to do.”
September 13th, 2024: “I am a little sad and worried, sister. My mother needs surgery, she has a strange tumor on her feet. The doctor said it is a cyst and that an operation is needed to remove it. When I have the money to perform the surgery, I will book it for her. I don’t know exactly how much it will be but it’s likely over $1000”
September 11th, 2024: “I want to collect donations to buy a bicycle so that I can move around and meeting my family’s needs. Do you think that makes sense? It is $750. I know it is expensive because it is desired by everyone and because it is so useful.”
September 20th, 2024: “I took a quick picture of our meal. We are sad.”
September 10th, 2024: “There was a huge explosion just right next to use. The situation is very difficult. It was so scary, thank god we survived. Imagine I just passed by the house just now. I had just reached the tent when the explosion happened, but there were scream sounds, they were asking for ambulances.”
September 10th, 2024: “My family demands my meal be good. I try to find them good food but I can’t, it’s expensive. We eat a lot of canned foods. Canned food is not good and is full of preservatives. Peas, chickpeas, and canned ground beef taste really bad. I’m thinking of making a nice dinner but I only have $20.”
September 7th, 2024: “My brother ibrahim has been sick since yesterday. He has a high temperature and is coughing violently and continuously. My heart is breaking. He was vaccinated for polio yesterday and his condition is very bad now. I used water compresses to reduce the fever but it didn’t help. He needs a fever reducer and a pain reliever for his cough. In additon he needs diapers, he has consumed a lot of diapers.”
September 6th, 2024: “I made lentil soup for my family today.”
September 5th, 2024: “I bought a plate of eggs for my family and frozen chicken wings.”
September 3rd, 2024: “I couldn’t provide cleaning supplies for my family, I could barely provide some simple food. Very bad day, I’m going to sleep I’m tired I wish I could die”
August 29th, 2024: “This is our food yesterday. Look at this beauty. The problem is that it is expensive. My brothers insist they want something like this every day. I try to convince them that it is expensive, but they are young and love everything. The little ones, I can’t even refuse them a request but I will try. I don’t know what to do. The most important thing for me is sanitary diapers, milk for my brother Ibrahim, and detergents. We cannot do without them.”
August 28th, 2024: “I had a bad day yesterday. The bombing was right next to us.”
August 23rd, 2024: “Our situation is very difficult, my sister, since the occupation asked us to evacuate yesterday. It was a very difficult night. The bombing was all around us and there were injuries and wounds. I have to evacuate now before nightfall. I can’t risk my family and grandfather again.”
August 22nd, 2024: “The occupation asked us to evacuate the eastern areas of Khan Yunis. I don’t know where my family, grandfather, and I will go. I don’t know what I will do. There are huge costs for evacuation and I can’t afford that. They requested evacuation an hour ago. We must evacuate before a disaster occurs in the area. We must evacuate before nightfall.”
August 21st, 2024: “Here is my grandfather trying to resist and endure.”
August 19th, 2024: “My condition is difficult, my grandfather is sick. His back hurts so much, he’s an old man. Can you contribute to buy a mattress and pillow for my grandfather?”
August 19th, 2024: “I’m fine my friend, but I’m a little sad. A few moments ago, a house next to us was bombed and 3 women were killed.”
August 12th, 2024: “I’m trying to keep my family alive under the current circumstances. I’m trying to collect money to buy a new tent, we left our tent when we evacuated and I spent all my money on evacuation costs.”
August 12th, 2024: “Is it possible to get to know each other? My name is Faris from Gaza. I’m 19 years old.”
July 24th, 2024: “Praise be to God, my living situation is very difficult for me and my family. We were scheduled to evacuate from Khan Yunis and I was able to evacuate my family but we spent the night on the street. But I left our tent behind. I could not take it with me.”
July 24th, 2024: “Hello my dear, I am Faris from Gaza.”