Current News

All correspondence from Yasser has been posted with his consent and blessings to publish and share. We are all concerned for the safety of Yasser and his family, and have asked him repeatedly if the play and these posts could put him in danger. In his words: “I don’t care about that, my friend. I’m in the middle of this genocide and nothing has happened to me. What matters is that the play is a success and this is my honor.”

December 7, 2024

I have been very distracted the past two days my friends. I have become like children. I browse pages and videos about food. The soul can no longer stand deprivation. But this will pass when the truce comes into effect. I will make all kinds of foods that my soul craves, every two days, without giving any importance to the high prices. We are no longer afraid of death, but we only think about food.

It seems that the ceasefire will be during the current week at the latest, at the end of it. Unfortunately, the Rafah crossing will only be for those returning from Egypt to Gaza until a complete agreement is reached for this war.

December 4, 2024

A few mintes ago, an explosion that seemed large enough to be a nuclear bomb went off in the tents near us.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f6hSyF36zyOZT3-UwdyRzGuQ

November 28, 2024

In the midst of heavy rain and people's voices heard because their tents were flooded, I woke up from sleep in order to try to drain the water accumulated on the roof of the tent to prevent water from leaking inside and the children were asleep. Despite this suffering, reconnaissance planes come to fly above us with their loud and annoying sound. What kind of crime are we living here? My head can no longer bear the voices talking inside it without any solution or way that can be taken to end this. I want to feel comfortable. My way of thinking has changed and I feel forgetful and exhausted throughout the day. I am a person who knew how to use his mind to benefit humanity and others, but unfortunately now I am only trying to save myself from madness and protect my family from death.

November 27, 2024

Unfortunately, there are no schools, but many female teachers teach the children in their tents. Yousef is now learning Arabic and English letters and numbers with a female teacher who works by the hour. The school hour is 3 shekels. He is smart, but the war conditions have greatly affected his interests. But I am trying hard to provide a better environment so that he can forget the poor living conditions we lived through and also the incorrect methods the children learned.

I think the agreement is close. This is the beginning of the Trump era, which is to end the wars. Also, an agreement is being reached now on the administrative body that will run Gaza. Hamas is a mercenary movement that does not give any attention or consideration to the Palestinian people now, except to remain in power and regain control over Gaza. All the residents here do not want Hamas. Because it works for Iran, and unfortunately it was betrayed by Iran and Hezbollah, and unfortunately the decision to go to war was not approved by the Palestinian people.

A large percentage of families here are waiting for the end of the war to immigrate to Europe.

November 26, 2024

Our tents are here near the sea. Can anyone tell me what I should do?

November 26, 2024

We hope that there will be relief soon here. Because Hezbollah will cancel the ceasefire agreement with Israel and unfortunately in Gaza the army will return to strike again as the IDF spokesman announced. Hamas was sold out and it deserved it because of the disrespect for the Palestinian people but the main victim is us. Our suffering will increase even more it seems

November 25, 2024

The sky is covered with clouds and I can't find a source to charge my phone. I will be gone until tomorrow at least.

November 24, 2024

The waves of the Gaza sea are high and crashing together quickly. The cold has reached our bodies and the bodies of our children. How long will we remain in this condition? We want to end this war and protect our children and families.

November 22, 2024

Yes, some of the aid workers are agents of Israel, and the same is true of the merchants. Indeed, Israel is providing security for the armed militias and supplying them with weapons as part of plans to control the distribution of aid, as they say. I could not buy flour, but bread is being sold again, but at high prices. I will buy it from him tomorrow. My brother said that he can provide me with a bag of flour on Saturday or Sunday at the latest. I will wait until then.

November 19, 2024

The current stage is very difficult. Armed gangs and mercenaries are closing the eastern road to the entry of trucks from Gaza to the Kerem Shalom crossing to transport aid. These militias also expelled the Red Cross from there. Flour and bread have also disappeared from the markets and the price of a milled bag has reached $200. I am telling you now that we will actually experience famine as it is in the northern Gaza Strip. Tomorrow I will not have bread to feed the children. I will go out early so that I may find some bread.

The activity of thes gangs has increased. They are linked to work with Israeli intelligence. Today the tension has increased and all trucks are prevented from entering. Also, a gas truck was burned in the middle of the road leading to the Kerem Shalom crossing.

November 18, 2024

The scene here is ongoing and the current situation will continue for a long time. On my way to buy beans and falafel, I heard a live testimony from one of the displaced people from Rafah saying that the Israeli army has contracted with Israeli civilian contracting companies to remove the rubble of houses in Rafah and create a buffer zone 1000 meters wide and 14.5 kilometers long. That is, along the Philadelphi axis. This means that we are facing a new resettlement inside the Gaza Strip.

Here we face great difficulties in providing flour and bread. A bag of flour costs $100, and a loaf of bread has become 12 loaves of bread, costing more than $10. It seems that we will return to the famine as it was last year at the same time. I fear the coming food crisis.

November 14, 2024

I am very happy to see more people interested in us and we hope that this work will also continue after the end of the war because I have a feeling that the end of the war is near despite the increasing tension here. This play will remain a free and true platform for my family and also the families here and will be a beacon of humanity that you shared with us during this war. I hope that this play and its great success will facilitate access to you and hugs to everyone and those who contributed to its success and help my family

November 13, 2024

This morning on Al Jazeera, they reported that Al Mawasi refugee safe zone had been bombed and several people killed, including a child. This is where Yasser has been living, so I wrote to ask if they were safe. cz

Yes, that's right. Today there are intensive helicopter flights here in Al Mawasi. Yes, the last bombing was close to us, but no one was hurt. The children are always in my arms and I am happy that I am able to protect them and provide for them because of your presence with us from the beginning, my aunt. I wish you health and wellness and that you recover soon. 

November 12, 2024

This visit (to my family in our village) took away a lot of the fatigue. But when the Apache helicopter took off over our village, I felt scared. The shock effect is still strong.🥺

November 11, 2024

We are fine my friend. We will not move yet. Nada would prefer to wait until the beginning of December when it gets colder here. If nothing happens she will decide to go back. Tomorrow I will go visit my family there in our village. Just me and the children. Nada does not want to go. The humanitarian zone has been expanded eastwards and has reached the outskirts of the camp where we used to live during our last displacement in the east. But the shock still lingers on Nada.

November 9, 2024

Text sent to Mary Collins from Yasser about the ability to leave Gaza.

Of course, being away from home is undesirable. But there is no future here for at least 10 years. During this period we must leave so that my children can start their way to the future and begin their journey of learning. There is no real news yet about opening the Kerem Shalom crossing for civilians. But what I heard is that there are arrangements and preparations to open the Rafah crossing, but the news was also denied. No one knows the truth, but it seems that if a truce happens soon, the crossing will be opened quickly because it is the first choice now for all Gaza residents and leaving will be expensive. You are wonderful people because you do not think about material things. Human beings are something great for you, unlike us here. I do not think that collecting this amount is easy. But let us wait to see what happens. But if the crossing opens, I will leave. But I do not want to increase the pressure on you with these costs. Therefore, I hope that the play will succeed so that we can collect the money and prepare for any scenario that may happen.

November 8, 2024

 I hope you get well soon, aunt. We are fine but we are having trouble getting meals and flour for bread. But thank God I am able to buy but the cash commission has reached 35% it is madness we did not expect. A third of the money we have goes to these damned people.

Thank you my friend. This (play) is a blessed effort and I hope we can reach what we want in terms of conveying the suffering and the real voice of what is happening here. Here is the current situation. Many reconnaissance planes are flying intensively here over the humanitarian area which they claim is humanitarian. It seems that they have a goal here or a plan to evacuate the humanitarian area. No one knows. 

A scene that often comes to my mind when I think about going to my village, the negative feeling of killing me begins, which is that our house will be bombed when I enter it suddenly. Or a bomb will be dropped on us when we gather near the house with my cousins there, or a military combing operation will begin near the border and sound bombs will be fired with shrapnel and artillery shells. This military combing operation was discussed during our last visit to Khuza'a 3 months ago on 6/24/2024. It became clear to me earlier that the quadcopter plane that was flying over our house and firing was not real, but rather an audio recording. There were more than 25 of my cousins sitting outside in front of our house without anyone being injured.  At that time, I was sitting on the stairs, afraid of the falling shrapnel. I did not document this scene because I was very worried about those young men who did not understand the phrase “you have to hide to protect yourself.” I was also worried that I would get involved in going out to help one of them and transporting them by car if any of them were injured. I think that this tension is still raging in my memory and preventing me from returning. The other thing that makes it easier for me, if that happened and I ended up dying, would be the end of my life. But I still have hope for survival. I was thinking about visiting my brothers and father tomorrow, but I did not decide because of this worry.

November 6, 2024

From Crystal: Yasser and I have had long conversations today following the US presidential elections.

Here in Gaza, everyone is now certain that the deal of the century that Trump had previously planned in his last term has now become implemented, whether Hamas intended it or not. Because October 7 was the actual beginning of the deal of the century and the re-planning of the geography of the Gaza Strip by establishing the dual axes. The first is Netzarim and the second is Philadelphi, and now they are paving the Nahal Oz road and the Israeli army has complete control. The Israeli army has also established camps and army sites in the three axes. With the arrival of Trump, perhaps the circumstances will be very harsh on Hamas because Trump will find Arab support in order to impose the provisions on Hamas and subject it to the new regional situation, as happened previously with the Palestine Liberation Organization, which has begun to accept the two-state solution. The war with the arrival of Trump has almost ended, and now Trump will implement the day after the war without Hamas in power. From one of the scenes that I just heard while walking.  One of the displaced from northern Gaza says that he saw a video showing the current situation in the Netzarim axis when he saw the sand dunes and military sites from the concrete and technological facility, he says this is not the Salah al-Din corridor from which we came to the southern Gaza Strip. On an area of 4 km wide and 6 km long, they are building a military settlement there and he says we will never return there, but residential cities will be established in the Khan Yunis neighborhood in order to house all the displaced here through tall residential towers while allowing us to voluntarily immigrate after the end of the war. Trump and Gaza now is resettlement and legal immigration and also economic development and a new government that will please the displaced here and restore life to them, but on the condition that the Palestinian issue is eliminated forever. Only Gaza will be an economic station for the Gazans to live in, as is the case in the deal of the century.

Regarding Sinwar, I also heard that while walking here, Sinwar had taken a true national torch that was eliminated. Unfortunately, they believe that Sinwar was the reason for the new Palestinian people’s catastrophe, but here they say that there is a big traitor inside Hamas who got approval from the Israeli Shin Bet to implement October 7 so that this would be the beginning of the deal of the century and to wait for Trump to come to complete building the new Middle East. Everyone says that Sinwar was betrayed and it was easy to eliminate him in Rafah in order to start a new phase with the arrival of Trump.

The assassination of Sinwar did not change anything in Hamas’s decision because Hamas is now only looking for a way to save itself. Hamas is already finished here and will not be able to rebuild itself as long as this war continues. Hamas was also betrayed by Iran’s followers. What Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which are loyal to Iran, are doing is just a play. Because the goal, as the Hamas Chief of Staff said, was to attack Israel from all sides so that the war of liberation would be here, Hamas was deceived and the main victim is us. Hamas has destroyed itself, but the biggest loser is the Palestinian people. Because the number of deaths since the beginning of the war until now, whether caused by bombing or as a result of the collapse of the health infrastructure such as kidney, diabetes, and cancer patients, has reached more than 150,000 people and the number is likely to increase significantly now in light of the lack of health relief here. The Palestinian people are innocent of Iran and its actions, and Hamas was deceived by Iran and its loyalists and destroyed itself.  The people now say we just want Trump to implement the deal of the century in order to allow us to emigrate voluntarily because the goal of the majority of the population now, including Hamas loyalists, is to emigrate from Gaza without return, and this is the fatal stab in the history of the Palestinian cause and the beginning of a new Middle East.

Trump is a businessman. He will end the war and change the Middle East without wars, as he did previously with Saudi Arabia and got $1.5 trillion from them.

November 4, 2024

This is great news for all of us that people want to help the play. Also my French friend has started translating and two friends from there are preparing to act. November is my calendar month. 11/22. This month will be full of hope for all of us and especially the end of this war. My thanks and respect to Ellen and to Mary for helping.

November 3, 2024

This will not end. Now the goal of this war is to completely re-plan and re-organize the Gaza Strip and the war will be a reality and will continue but in another way when the ceasefire is declared which will be at the end of this month or the beginning of December after that the next phase will begin which is the day after the war because what the Israeli army is building here indicates the duration of this phase of the war.

I just hope that we will be allowed to leave Gaza through Egypt to the world. So that we can find a way to reach you, or at least the temporary stage, which is Spain.

Ritual worship is not valid at all if transactional worship is not valid. I feel the sincerity of this interactional worship with you.

Crystal: With the generosity of some friends, Yasser was able to purchase a car. While gas is almost impossible to come by, the car will allow them to take belongings, and have shelter, if they are displaced again. On Nov. 2nd, Yasser procured some gas and they drove to their village where his father and brother are staying (it was in this location that 7 member of his family were killed a month or so ago).

November 2, 2024

When I sat at home, time passed quickly without us noticing. It was a beautiful increase. But I looked at myself and unfortunately I felt a big change in my mental activity. I lost focus a lot. Also forgetfulness. I was never at this level. I am sad for myself. Tension, anxiety, forgetfulness, distraction and exhaustion I felt all of that during this increase.

I am truly honored to have met you. You are a successful and reliable person who has a beautiful and great position among his friends and society. Indeed, the world will know that. There is also a Norwegian actor who I will offer our play to. See how the group that will publish the play will grow and expand and the first success will be you. The most beautiful thing will be meeting you. I admit to everyone here that I have a real family that supports me and I am their son and my children are their grandchildren and I will go to them one day

October 31, 2024  

Thank you my friend and aunt. We are fine. The night was terrifying and the red color was prevalent at night because of the missiles. I cannot take pictures. It would be better documentation, but the danger would be greater. Also, since the morning, a suicide military reconnaissance plane has been flying since the morning. This plane is responsible for bombing the tents. I hope no one gets hurt. The news of the film director is very wonderful. Good tidings and success come quickly to make this wonderful work that you have created a success. It was not planned, but it has become something wonderful. 

October 29, 2024

Yesterday I was with a university professor here who told me that he had registered for the green card program in the United States of America.

October 28, 2024

I am proud of you, my aunt. My friend. I could not have imagined how much we would have suffered if we had not known you during this war, but this acquaintance was all the good that God had in store for us. Despite our suffering before the war and even before my marriage. I have been suffering since I was young. I was carrying the burden of my family with my mother. My mother always complained to me that we were living through great difficulties in this life. Yasser, you must succeed in order to be able to pay off your father’s debt and also help in marrying off your sisters. You must succeed in order to have a good job to help us. The massage therapist works as a taxi driver and this profession does not provide a living most of the time. My mother planted success in my mind since I was young, as well as bearing responsibility and suffering greatly from a young age. Also, from the harsh chapters of my life, I worked in the commercial tunnels between Palestinian Rafah and Egyptian Rafah. At that time, I was a second-year student in the Faculty of Civil Engineering. I worked four days a week in exchange for three days for studying. At that time, I paid off my father’s debt and also helped in marrying off my two sisters.  I was always sure that God will send me someone who will give me a real chance in this life. Why did I have to endure all this suffering? After paying off my father's debt and getting my brothers married, I started thinking about my future and starting my family. I was drowning in debt. I got two loans from the bank amidst the limited work I was doing in the field of contracting and low salaries. But I was saving money by spending little until I was able to build my house, get married and pay off the bank loans. I am a person who has never known comfort. Also, before the war started, I was unemployed for a long time. Without a father as a source of income, Maria was born and we lived in harsh conditions. The worst thing is that this war started and I did not have a single penny in my pocket, but God helped us through friends until you came to change the course of our lives and to stand strong in the face of this tragedy, certainly with all the friends from Lucy and Mary and Carter and Jackson and others. I apologize for writing the list of my dear friends because it is long, and I am very proud of you.  I truly acknowledge that you have given me more than this life has given me in 33 years. Thank you my friends and I hope to meet you one day.

October 27, 2024

Today I distributed 5 cups of water in memory of my maternal and paternal ancestors, as well as Nada's sister who was martyred during the war.  I distributed 250 cards to get water for five days.

October 26, 2024

Here I have fulfilled something and I am proud of it. Some of the neighbors here in the camp are proud and thank God that they have a family of brothers in the Arab countries in the Gulf who constantly help them with money. I am a person who does not have any family extension outside Gaza. But I tell them that I have a large and great family who supports my family without any blood or religious ties, but rather the bond of humanity is what brings us together. I am proud of you, my family.