DONATE NOWDear Friends,
"We are scared…that we can die at any moment," said 11-year-old Mohammed Ayyad, still terrified hours after a massive Israeli bombardment of government buildings next to his house in the densely populated, over-crowded Gaza Strip. "Debris from the broken windows fell on our heads, the electricity was cut off and we started screaming," he said. "My mother came and hugged us."
In seeking comfort in their parents’ arms, children along with entire families are being killed as Israel continues its military onslaught in Gaza for the tenth consecutive day, which has left over 530 Palestinians dead and at least 2,250 injured. This morning, seven members of a family—five children and their parents—joined the mounting civilian death toll when an Israeli shell struck their home. The attack at Shati refugee camp followed a separate shelling, which killed three children and their mother in eastern Gaza City. With no bomb shelters to take refuge in, like those in neighboring Israeli towns, and with the border crossings closed by Israel, Palestinian families have no choice but to stay home and hope for the best in an area which has been turned into a killing field.
The Israeli military campaign comes after months of a strict siege on 1.5 million Palestinian civilians, which has created a severe humanitarian crisis affecting basic energy services, the health care sector and basic food supplies. Hospitals are struggling to function under 24-hour power outages. Hospital electricity is still being provided by back-up generators, and fuel for generators is precariously low. While stabilized patients are being discharged as soon as possible to free up space in the hospitals, the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) throughout the Gaza Strip are overloaded, and all ICU beds are occupied. Thanks to your donations in 2008, a shipment containing much needed medical supplies has left for Gaza today.
While the international community takes time to debate if and when to take serious action, Palestinians in Gaza cannot wait. They need your help now.
Since the start of Israel’s siege on Gaza, The Jerusalem Fund has assisted credible non-governmental organizations in Gaza to provide health and educational services as well as other basic commodities. With no end in sight to current developments, The Fund is preparing to double its assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza trapped in military warfare and a humanitarian crisis. In the 30 years that The Jerusalem Fund has provided humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people, we have not experienced such a dire need for your support as we do today.
This emergency appeal will be used for 1) immediate assistance to Gaza and 2) to provide support for projects which will be needed to help rebuild civilian life and society. We appeal today to your generosity, compassion and sense of solidarity. Your donations at this time will tell the people of Gaza they are not alone and help them remain steadfast.
To make your tax-deductible donation today, you can donate online. For more information about The Jerusalem Fund, please visit www.thejerusalemfund.org.
With sincere gratitude,
Subhi D. Ali, MD
Jerusalem Fund Chairman
Eid B. Mustafa, MD
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
About the The Jerusalem Fund
An established charity with a thirty year track record, the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development is not affiliated with any government. While we provide grants to independent, not-for-profit, non-political, non-sectarian organizations working for Palestinians in the Occupied Territory, in refugee camps around the region and in Israel, we strictly adhere to the laws regulating charity contributions. The Fund is registered in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia.
The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, that maintains three programs. The Palestine Center hosts educational briefings and publishes analysis of the Palestinian experience and U.S. policy in the region. The Humanitarian Link provides short-term grants on a quarterly basis to humanitarian organizations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and surrounding refugee camps. The Jerusalem Fund Gallery hosts art exhibits, workshops, film screenings and more that showcase the rich artistic heritage of the region.
