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1. Embed this notice
   Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Monday, 13-Jul-2026 21:33:36 JST Aral Balkan

   Have you considered why people in Gaza have to continuously ask for help?

   Do you think it might have something to do with being the victims of apartheid Israel’s ongoing genocide, ethnic cleansing, and settler colonialism?

   Have you asked yourself how your taxes and your government are support Israel’s crimes and your complicity in their suffering?

   Maybe do all these things before getting upset because your infinite scroll was interrupted by someone in need. And maybe at the very least simply mute or block them yourself instead of reporting them to get their voices permanently silenced.

   • Embed this notice
     Lina 🍉om Sham (lina19942810@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 13-Jul-2026 21:44:08 JST Lina 🍉om Sham

     in reply to

     @aral
     Do you think we enjoy repeating our pain every single day? Does anyone think a person wants to beg strangers for the cost of medicine, food, or a child’s milk?
     We do not share our story seeking attention. We share it because silence can mean losing a life. Behind every post is a frightened mother, children waiting for food, and a sick person in need of treatment.
     If it is difficult for you to see our words, imagine how difficult it is to live the reality that forced us to write them.

   • Embed this notice
     kat donegan (she/her) 🇵🇸✊ (kathimmel@mstdn.social)'s status on Tuesday, 14-Jul-2026 02:22:22 JST kat donegan (she/her) 🇵🇸✊

     in reply to

     @aral@ar.al i think there's a crisis of conscience at play here that means people would rather punish the messenger (or, in many cases, the subject of injustice) than confront their own feelings about things that seem outside of their control.

   • Embed this notice
     Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Tuesday, 14-Jul-2026 02:24:44 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • Trash Panda

     @raccoon Please take care of yourself first. And bless your beautiful heart 💕

   • Embed this notice
     Trash Panda (raccoon@hollow.raccoon.quest)'s status on Tuesday, 14-Jul-2026 02:24:46 JST Trash Panda

     in reply to
     @aral@mastodon.ar.al
     What upsets me is that I am too poor myself to help them.
     I had to nag people with mutual aid requests this month, paycheck is hopefully arriving the 15 and I have 60 bucks left.
     
     I wish I could help them but I can barely help myself :(
   • Embed this notice
     Raphaellakay (can't donate) (raphaellakay@mastodon.world)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jul-2026 18:16:10 JST Raphaellakay (can't donate)

     in reply to

     • Alda Vigdís

     @alda @aral

     You can also make a donation to Gaza Soup Kitchen who is a grassroots organization:
     https://gazasoupkitchen.org/

     they are sharing on multiple social media what they do and they are transparent

     another good alternative is Crips for eSims for Gaza:
     https://chuffed.org/project/crips-for-esims-for-gaza

   • Embed this notice
     Alda Vigdís (alda@topspicy.social)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jul-2026 18:16:11 JST Alda Vigdís

     in reply to

     @aral My take on this, if I may, has been that if anyone is overwhelmed by multiple Gaza Verified individuals asking for direct contributions, then donating to UNRWA or your local UNRWA committee is an acceptable alternative.

   • Embed this notice
     Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jul-2026 18:18:04 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • Alda Vigdís
     • mahmoud 🇵🇸

     @alda @mahmoodhamod991 I don’t know if the situation has changed recently but I spoke with a friend at UNRWA about half a year ago and they said they were effectively being prevented from helping.

     Can check again to see if anything’s changed.

   • Embed this notice
     Alda Vigdís (alda@topspicy.social)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jul-2026 18:18:06 JST Alda Vigdís

     in reply to

     • mahmoud 🇵🇸

     @mahmoodhamod991 @aral I completely agree with you there and this is why I'm very sceptical about any "3rd party" projects og NGOs from the outside or with little experience in Gaza or the West Bank being able to operate.

     Let alone organisations that I have never heard of calling themselves "the premier NGO operating in Palestine".

     This is why I have been recommending either UNRWA or Islamic Aid for those who don't think that supporting individuals directly is the way to go.

   • Embed this notice
     mahmoud 🇵🇸 (mahmoodhamod991@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jul-2026 18:18:07 JST mahmoud 🇵🇸

     in reply to

     • Alda Vigdís

     @alda @aral
     I didn't mean to put pressure on you personally. Our suffering here doesn't mean we should ignore the suffering of our people in the camps in Lebanon or elsewhere; we are all in the same boat. What I wanted to clarify is that the situation in the Gaza Strip right now, based on my personal experience, has reached a point where large-scale institutional aid is almost completely cut off or unable to reach us, making direct, individual solidarity the only option for many to survive.

   • Embed this notice
     Alda Vigdís (alda@topspicy.social)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jul-2026 18:18:08 JST Alda Vigdís

     in reply to

     • mahmoud 🇵🇸

     @mahmoodhamod991 @aral I am fully aware that this sounds harsh to you but I cannot individualise to a personal level beyond how things already are or my mental health and capacity to provide for myself will slip.

     I have friends who live in Ain al-Hilweh and Dahieh over in Lebanon and this is how I choose to donate.

   • Embed this notice
     mahmoud 🇵🇸 (mahmoodhamod991@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jul-2026 18:18:10 JST mahmoud 🇵🇸

     in reply to

     • Alda Vigdís

     @alda @aral
     even now.I haven't been able to undergo that procedure yet. I'm now in a critical stage where I need medication and post-operative medical care, and I can't afford anything. Therefore, direct communication with individuals in need is the most transparent and reliable way to ensure donations reach those who truly need them. .

   • Embed this notice
     mahmoud 🇵🇸 (mahmoodhamod991@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jul-2026 18:18:11 JST mahmoud 🇵🇸

     in reply to

     • Alda Vigdís

     @alda @aral
     Let me give you a real-life example from my own experience: I underwent eye surgery a week ago due to an injury, and I had to pay for it myself despite the existence of organizations that are supposed to receive donations specifically for us. The truth is, this aid rarely reaches those who need it. In fact, if it weren't for the intervention of people here on the Mastodon platform, their direct communication with me, and their support, I wouldn't have been able to have that surgery

   • Embed this notice
     mahmoud 🇵🇸 (mahmoodhamod991@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jul-2026 18:18:12 JST mahmoud 🇵🇸

     in reply to

     • Alda Vigdís

     @alda @aral
     With all due respect to your point of view, the reality on the ground is quite differentMost large organizations and institutions don't reach us with their aid, and people here live below the extreme poverty line and are in dire need of everything. Given this reality,direct communication with individuals in need is the only safest and most reliable way to ensure that support reaches those who truly deserve it, because any third party might not deliver aid to those who need it most.

   • Embed this notice
     Alda Vigdís (alda@topspicy.social)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jul-2026 18:18:12 JST Alda Vigdís

     in reply to

     • mahmoud 🇵🇸

     @mahmoodhamod991 @aral That is the main dilemma that I have had. But having worked for UNRWA in Lebanon and seeing news and obituaries about former coworkers, this is currently how I choose to donate.

     Even if UNRWA is not able to bring in supplies to Gaza and has been technically expelled by Israeli authorities, I am well aware of how that money is being spent in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.