Updates

My name is Hajj Abu Sultan, I am 58 years old. I am from the Nuseirat Camp in central Gaza, where my home was bombed by Israel, resulting in the martyrdom of 10 of my family members and my wife, Ahlam Mohammed Abu Sultan. My dream is for the war to stop.

Last year, AFSC brought together perspectives from Palestinian writers from Gaza in the book, "Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire.” The anthology features essays and poems of 11 Palestinian writers from Gaza to people around the world.

In his chapter in Light on Gaza: Writings Born of Fire--“Travel Restrictions as a Manifestation of Nakba: Gaza, the Path Backward Is the Path Forward”--Yousef Aljamal writes about the continuation of the Nakba as manifested through Israel’s control of Palestinians’ freedom of movement.

Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire brings together sixteen essays and poems by twelve Palestinian writers. The book includes political essays, personal narratives, economic analysis, and poetry. The book is edited by American Friends Service Committee staff Jehad Abusalim, Jennifer Bing, and Mike Merryman-Lotze and published by Haymarket Books.

On Aug. 5, 2022, Israel launched another military assault of Gaza. Over three days, the attacks killed at least 47 people—including 16 children—and injured over 300.

In this interview, Gaza Program Officer Serena Awad and Program Coordinator Ali Abdalbari share their experiences from the escalation—and how communities have worked to recover since then. 

This week marks 55 years since the Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the Syrian Golan.

Every year, the U.S. wastes $3.8 billion dollars sending weapons to Israel and funding its military. With U.S. taxpayer funds, thousands of Palestinians have been killed or displaced. Countless homes, hospitals, schools, and other institutions have been destroyed. 

“We can’t give Gaza only seasonal attention,” AFSC's Jehad Abusalim said in an interview. “The violence continues. Ending the political isolation of Gaza and trying to make Gaza a place we can imagine living in is our mandate.” 

For eleven days in May 2021 the Israeli military bombed Gaza, killing at least 242 Palestinians including 66 children.  A ceasefire has been reached, but as Refaat Alareer outlines in this clip, the cost for Palestinians in Gaza in terms of loss of life, destroyed homes, and suffering has been enormous.

Asmaa discusses the destruction of infrastructure by the Israeli attacks on Gaza. The detrimental effects have impacted civilians' attempt for job opportunities. Take action today. Tell Congress to call for an immediate, complete, and unconditional end to the Gaza blockade.

I celebrate the cease-fire with ambivalence. That’s because, even though it puts a temporary end to the spectacular violence of the past 11 days, it will not end the everyday violence in Gaza and across the occupied territories that has been going on for 73 years.