Charities Supporting Victims of the Israel-Hamas Crisis
On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched a coordinated terror attack on Israel, with thousands of Israeli civilians killed, injured, or taken hostage. As the conflict has escalated between Israel and Hamas, thousands of Palestinians have also been caught in the crossfire.
Innocent men, women, and children are in desperate need of humanitarian aid. The best way to support victims of the Israel-Hamas crisis is through financially supporting the charities and organizations who are on the ground and delivering aid.
To help, I’ve listed some of the most reputable local and international organizations that lead emergency relief efforts in the region. Donating to trusted organizations ensures that your contribution reaches those who need it most.
The Impact of the Hamas Attack and Israel’s Response
On October 7, 2023, Hamas fired thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israeli towns before breaching the fortified Israel-Gaza border and sending gunmen deep into southern Israel.
Hamas seems to have purposefully targeted civilians — including women and children — in a terror attack that was unprecedented in its tactics, scale, and brutality. According to Israeli authorities, more than 1,400 Israelis lost their lives, including 260 civilians who attended a music festival near the Gaza border. At least 3,400 Israelis are injured and hundreds have been abducted and taken into Gaza.
In response, Israel declared war on Hamas on October 8, and by October 9 had regained control of the towns Hamas assaulted. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) told civilians in Gaza to evacuate residential areas ahead of a heavy bombardment of Hamas and Islamic Jihadist positions between October 7 and 12. On October 12, the IDF ordered roughly 1 million people in northern Gaza to evacuate and move south, signaling a major Israeli ground offensive.
Following these warnings, Palestinians have been largely unable to leave Gaza. Egypt’s border with Palestine remains closed to most Palestinian refugees. The IDF also claims that Hamas has prevented Palestinians from evacuating. Many others have refused to leave for fear of displacement from their homes.
As of October 19, Palestinian officials say at least 3,785 Palestinians have died. According to the UN, an estimated 1 million have been displaced.
Israel has closed its crossings with Palestine until Hamas releases Israeli hostages, but has said that aid can enter from Egypt’s Rafah Crossing. With the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsening, aid was unable to cross the border until the US, UN, Egypt, and Israel could reach an agreement. On October 21, the first critical supplies entered Gaza, with another delivery of aid on October 22.
Local Aid Organizations
1. IsraAID
Website: https://www.israaid.org/
Location: Israel
Type of Aid Provided: Emergency Aid, Psychosocial Support
A coalition that brings together numerous Israeli organizations, IsraAID focuses on disaster relief and international development efforts. It was founded in 2001 and has since grown to become the largest humanitarian aid organization in the country.
With its local partners, IsraAID coordinates humanitarian activities across several sectors. These include housing evacuees from the Gaza border, distributing resilience kits, running child-friendly spaces for affected children and their families, and training mental health specialists on emergency-specific psychosocial support for victims. IsraAID has set up the IsraAID Emergency Fund to help these efforts..." from the article: Charities Supporting Victims of the Israel-Hamas Crisis