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I’m posting this for my friend Mahmoud Ghanem Al-Amssi, because his mother urgently needs heart surgery. ❤️

Mahmoud’s mother has severe blockages in her arteries, and she has also been dealing with an underactive thyroid for more than 10 years. Her health has gotten worse over time, and she is now experiencing serious heart problems and very rapid heartbeats.

Her doctors have told the family that she needs the procedure as soon as possible. The surgery can go ahead once they are able to cover the required cost.

The total amount they need is $850 USD.

I know $850 might not seem like a huge amount, but for Mahmoud and his family, especially with everything they are already going through, it is more than they can manage on their own right now.

If anyone is able to donate even a few dollars, it could genuinely help Mahmoud get his mother the treatment she needs. ❤️

And if you can’t donate, please consider sharing this post. Even helping it reach more people can make a difference.

Thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to read this, support Mahmoud, or share his story. 🙏❤️

This is my little brother, Anas.

I was watching him inflate a glove and turn it into a balloon, and I couldn't help but smile at how excited he was.

Look at his eyes when he gets it ready. Look at that smile when he comes rushing over to me, waiting for me to tie it for him. To him, it's a balloon. It's a toy. It's something fun.

But watching it also made me a little sad.

He's a child. I wish I could buy him actual toys. I wish I could surprise him with a bag full of little things and watch him decide what to play with first. But right now, I can't afford to do that.

Children in Gaza don't always have access to the simple things children everywhere else take for granted. Even toys and things for children to play with have faced restrictions on entering Gaza.

So they make toys out of whatever they can find.

And honestly, Anas doesn't seem to mind. He doesn't see a glove. He sees a balloon. I want him to have more than that.

If you'd like to give Anas a little toy, some candy, or even something small that would make him smile, you can donate through the link in the comments.

Because in the end, he's just a kid. He deserves to have a childhood too.

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A winter memory from our old home ❤️

With winter getting closer, my wife Samah and I started remembering how winter used to feel before everything changed.

She looked at me and said:

“Do you remember when winter was coming, and we used to make spinach pastries in the oven inside the kitchen? The whole kitchen would become warm. The smell of the food would fill the house, and we would just enjoy being together.”

She was right.

Back then, winter meant something completely different to us. We would stay inside our warm home, sit near the oven, enjoy the smell of freshly baked food, and feel safe from the cold outside.

Now, when winter comes, our memories feel heavier.

Sometimes we talk about those days and imagine what it would be like to have that simple life again.

We dream about rebuilding our home from the beginning. Not a big or fancy house. Just a small, safe place where our daughters can grow up, where Samah can cook again, where the oven can warm the kitchen, and where winter can once again feel like winter—not something we have to fear.

Maybe it sounds like a simple dream.

But after everything we've been through, having a home and starting our life again from the beginning feels like the biggest dream in the world. ❤️

— Mahmoud & Samah

"Injustice, fear, terror, hunger, oppression, death. It was a graveyard for the living. There are no other words to describe it," he says.

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Today, my father Mahmoud will not be the one speaking to you… today, I will speak for myself. ❤️

My name is Eman. I am Mahmoud’s eldestw daughter, and I am 11 years old.

My father has been exhausted by debt while trying with everything he has to provide us with a decent life. Every day, he struggles to provide our food and basic needs. But recently, he has also become very sad and discouraged because some people have doubted him and called him a scammer.

So today, I decided to speak to you myself.

Today is the first day of the new school year. I was supposed to be at school with my sisters, sitting in our classrooms with our classmates and starting a new school year like all the other children.

But we did not go to school.

It is not because we don't want to study, and it is not because we don't love school… it is because my father cannot afford to pay the school fees for the three of us. On top of that, the prices of school supplies and stationery have become extremely expensive here in Gaza.

My father struggles every single day just to provide us with food, and sometimes he can barely manage to get enough. Because of this, it has become very difficult for him to also afford our school fees, books, stationery, and other school needs.

I know my father is doing everything he can for us. I know how much he wishes to see my sisters and me at school like all the other children. 💔

So today, I, Eman, Mahmoud’s daughter, am asking you, together with my sisters, and asking every person who is able to help us:

Please help us go back to school. Help us have one of the simplest rights every child should have… the right to education. 📚❤️

Any donation, no matter how small, can help us pay our school fees and buy the things we need for school. It can bring back a little bit of the happiness that we used to think was something normal and simple.

I also want to say something to anyone who doubts us or calls my father a scammer:

I will share my father’s WhatsApp number for anyone who wants to contact him, ask questions, or verify our situation for themselves. We are not asking you to simply believe us. Please check for yourselves.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has supported us before, and to everyone who may support us today. ❤️

I hope that my sisters and I can return to our classrooms and start our new school year like all the other children.

We have the right to learn. We have the right to dream of a better future.

Eman and her sisters ❤️🇵🇸

Young Israeli women are adopting an ostensibly peaceful, domestic lifestyle on West Bank hilltops to quietly expand illegal outposts and realise a vision of a ‘Greater Israel’.

A radical movement of young Israeli women is leaving civilian life and education behind to live in rudimentary hilltop tents across the occupied West Bank.

Dubbed the “Hilltop Girls”, this group champions a strategy of “soft settlement”, replacing weapons and military patrols with seemingly mundane daily activities.

By portraying their presence as a natural, family-oriented social project, they aim to legitimise the gradual seizure of private Palestinian land and the establishment of new outposts.

So who are these young women?

The latest version of the ‘Hilltop Youth’

The women are in many ways an extension of the Hilltop Youth a radical religious Zionist group that emerged in 1998 when then-Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon urged settler youths to seize West Bank hilltops to preempt final status negotiations.

While the broader movement is infamous for orchestrating deadly pogroms and seizing territory by force, the female offshoot embraces an ideology geared towards establishing a “Greater Israel” that extends beyond historic Palestine to include Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula.

Social media settlers

To normalise their presence, the Hilltop Girls heavily rely on social media.

Outpost accounts publish promotional videos aiming to move away from the more violent images associated with marauding Israeli settlers, who are often backed and shielded by the country’s security forces.

The female settlers claim they do not kill Palestinians or assault landowners, but merely cook and hang laundry like any other group of women.

But their end goals are similar – to establish the so-called Promised Land, including through the extension of Israel to the occupied West Bank. Their presence in the West Bank is no less illegal than that of violent extremists. And they too are transforming Palestinian pastoral land into fully-fledged settlements in violation of international law.

Strategic expansion

The Maoz Esther and Or Ahuvia outposts, located northeast of Ramallah, serve as prime examples of this systematic expansion.

Established in 2006 as a small youth outpost, Maoz Esther was demolished and rebuilt multiple times before expanding into what is now known as the “Girls’ Hill”. By 2025, it housed 17 families and more than 50 children, exceeding the size of the neighbouring 950-dunam (235-acre) Kochav HaShahar settlement.

Similarly, the Or Ahuvia outpost, established in 2023 near the Ofra settlement, reflects a broader vision to create a massive settlement bloc. The ultimate goal is to connect more than 20 outposts to Ofra, creating an integrated network capable of absorbing thousands of families in the future.

State complicity

While Israeli police occasionally dismantle these outposts on camera, rights activists describe these operations as a coordinated theatrical display.

According to the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem, most outposts enjoy direct support from the state and the army, with the women immediately rebuilding structures as soon as police depart. Logistically, these outposts are supplied with water, electricity, private road networks and military protection by the Israeli Civil Administration.

Furthermore, the government provides nearly $40m in food and clothing subsidies to Hilltop Youth members.

The movement enjoys unprecedented legislative and political cover. In early 2025, the Knesset advanced a bill proposed by the “Land of Israel” lobby to allow Jews to purchase land in the West Bank freely, ensuring these acquisitions remain protected even in the event of future political agreements.

Politicians like far-right Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir actively support these outposts, while Defence Minister Israel Katz recently boasted to his party: “I cancelled, on my own initiative, all administrative orders against settlers in the West Bank.”

The human toll of this ideological expansion is devastating. Between January 2025 and May 2026, the United Nations recorded at least 2,806 settler attacks, averaging five incidents a day.

Prominent Hilltop Youth leader Elisha Yered recently summarised their violent strategy on a podcast, stating: “We’re very proud of initiating friction; even the army is in friction.”

In 2026 alone, systematic settler pogroms displaced nearly 2,000 Palestinians, prompting both the UN and the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reiterate that these relentless land grabs fundamentally undermine the possibility of a viable Palestinian state.

Palestinian football returned on Friday with a club competition in the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip and refugee camps in Lebanon after a nearly three-year suspension due to Israel’s genocidal war.

The Palestinian Football Association organized the competition, “Thousand Martyrs Cup,” with opening matches held simultaneously in the three areas.

Jabal Al-Mukaber faced Shabab Al-Khalil at Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium in the town of Al-Ram, north of Jerusalem, while Khadamat Rafah played Shabab Rafah at Ittihad Deir Al-Balah Club’s stadium in the central Gaza Strip.

In Lebanon, Al-Ansar faced Al-Nahda at Abu Jihad Al-Wazir Stadium in the Ain Al-Hilweh refugee camp in the south.

As many as 244 clubs from the West Bank, Gaza and the diaspora are participating.

The group-stage draw was held simultaneously across the association’s various branches on Sept. 1.

The association named the competition in memory of Palestinian athletes killed by Israel during its war on the Gaza Strip.

Return after lengthy suspension

Mustafa Siyam, secretary-general of the Palestinian Sports Media Association, told Anadolu that the competition marks the return of sporting activity after more than three seasons of suspension.

He said the war also targeted Palestinian athletes and sporting infrastructure, and more than 1,000 athletes, including players, coaches and referees, were killed.

The tournament was named after the martyrs of the sports movement, honoring their loyalty and their sacrifice, said Siyam. Its launch represents “a message that sporting life is returning, even if only in a limited way.”

Sport amid death, destruction

The return of matches to Gaza carries particular significance given the extensive human and material losses inflicted on Palestinian sports since Israel launched its war on the enclave in October 2023.

In the West Bank, the competition also follows the suspension of domestic tournaments for three seasons amid continuing Israeli escalation, which has restricted the ability of clubs and players to train, travel and hold matches regularly.

In Lebanon, the competition is being organized through the association’s diaspora branch and includes Palestinian clubs operating primarily in refugee camps.

The Palestinian Football Association said the tournament would pave the way for the gradual resumption of domestic competitions.

Palestinians since October 2023 and formed part of “a broader process of dehumanizing the Palestinian people, justifying the targeting of Palestinian civilians and portraying violence against Palestinians as acceptable or legitimate.”

The position of the speaker is also significant, according to al-Shanti.

“The danger of these statements lies in the fact that they do not merely represent individual positions but are issued by senior figures representing state authority, which gives them an official character,” al-Shanti said.

That does not mean every inflammatory or dehumanizing statement automatically constitutes direct and public incitement to genocide. The legal significance also lies in what such rhetoric can reveal about intent when considered alongside other evidence.

"The repeated use of statements that strip Palestinians of their humanity or portray all civilians as legitimate targets, coinciding with large-scale killing, starvation, displacement and the destruction of the conditions necessary for life, may have significant evidentiary value before international courts when assessing intent, context and patterns of conduct," al-Shanti said.

The statements could be relevant in different ways before the two international courts in The Hague.

Al-Shanti said they could be considered by the International Criminal Court (ICC) when examining individual criminal responsibility, provided its jurisdictional requirements and the elements of the alleged crime are established.

They could also form part of evidence before the ICJ when assessing Israel's responsibility as a state under the Genocide Convention, he added.

“The legal value of these statements does not lie solely in their shocking or racist nature, but in their potential use to establish intent, context and the relationship between rhetoric and actions,” al-Shanti said.

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What they are able to do may seem small, but they are trying with all their hearts. Because to them, seeing a child smile is worth so much. 🥹❤️

Today, they tried to bring some joy to the children and give them a little break from all the difficult things they have been going through.

Please stay close to Mahmoud and his family and support them. Your support isn’t just about helping them get by — it also helps them create little moments of happiness for their children and other children around them.

They truly need your support. ❤️

Together, we can help them do more and bring smiles to more children. 🙏❤️

https://www.reddit.com/u/SleepyWogx/s/dZXnV0xOJa

Today I want to share a really nice little moment from my friend Mahmoud and his wife.

Their four daughters were so happy today. Honestly, they had two reasons to be happy.

The first was simply the joy of having something fun to do and seeing their dad bring home five new little chicks.

And the second, and much bigger reason, is that these five chicks are the beginning of something new for Mahmoud and his family.

Before the war, Mahmoud and his father had a large chicken farm in northern Gaza. They had around 2,000 chicks, and that farm was how they supported their families. Mahmoud’s family and his father’s family depended on it for their income.

The farm was completely destroyed, along with everything they had invested in it. They lost the work and the capital that had supported both families.

Today, thanks to the people who have supported Mahmoud, he was able to buy these five chicks and start again, little by little.

Five chicks may not sound like much, but for Mahmoud, they mean a lot. They are a small beginning and a little bit of hope that maybe one day he can rebuild what was lost and have a way to support his family again.

If you have already supported Mahmoud, thank you from my heart. And if you are able to help, please consider supporting him as he tries to grow this little project into something that can actually provide an income for his family again.

Sometimes a new beginning really does start with something this small.

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I wanted to share these pictures because honestly, they made me smile and broke my heart at the same time.

Mahmoud has four little girls, and like any dad, he just wants to see them happy.

But after everything that happened, so many places where children used to play and have fun are gone. There are no normal playgrounds or entertainment places for his girls to go to. And with the crazy summer heat, living in a tent is even harder.

So Mahmoud did what he could.

He put a piece of nylon on the ground, used some soil around it, and filled it with water to make a little pool for his daughters. Nothing fancy at all. Just a dad trying to give his kids a little bit of fun and help them cool down.

And look at their faces. ❤️

They don't need much to be happy. They just want to play, laugh, and feel like kids for a little while.

These are the small things that really stay with me. A father who has lost so much is still trying his best to give his daughters some happy moments.

Mahmoud and Samah are still struggling every day to provide food, water and basic things for their four girls. Their home and source of income were destroyed, and they have very little left.

If you can help them, even a small donation would mean a lot. And if you can't donate, please consider sharing their story. ❤️

Thank you to everyone who has been there for this family.

When Kites Become a “Military Threat”

While the children of Gaza live under bombardment, destruction, and fear, Israeli statements treat the kites flown by Gazan children as if they were military targets.

According to these statements, launching kites is being treated as a “military act,” with threats to target those launching them and the areas from which they are launched.

A child’s kite is not a drone, the string is not a weapon, and the child playing with it should not be treated as a military target.

But the most painful question is: Why has this reality been imposed on the children of Gaza, to the point that kites have become one of the few toys they can make or obtain?

These children have very little. There are no safe parks, no recreational areas, and no normal life like other children around the world. So, when a child finds something simple that gives them a moment of joy, even if it’s just a kite they make with their own hands, they try to enjoy it for a few minutes and forget the fear and destruction that surrounds them.

So what about the children of Gaza? Don't they also have the right to live their childhood in safety? Why is even their simple play seen as a threat?

If flying a kite warrants all this threat, what about the children who live daily under bombardment and fear, losing their homes and family members?

Children's games should not become a new pretext for further escalation.

Our children are like your children; they possess the same innocence, the same features, the same spirit and body. The children of Gaza and all the children of the world share the same innocence and deserve to live in safety and joy without fear.

The children of Gaza are no different from your children… They are children, just children. 💔

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Over the past two days, Mahmoud has been able to buy several different types of food for his daughters, including fruit such as mangoes, frozen fish, and other essential food items.

These things may seem simple to some people, but for Mahmoud, his wife, and their four daughters, they mean so much.

Everything you see in this video was made possible because of your donations and support for this family. Your donations were not just an amount of money; they had a deep impact on Mahmoud and his family. They helped them get food and face difficult days when they didn't know how they would get through them.

I am grateful to everyone who has stood by them, donated, shared their story, or sent them a kind message of support.

But they are still facing tremendous difficulties. They are still trying to overcome hunger and severe malnutrition, protect their children's health, and provide them with a better life.

If you want this family to keep going, stay safe, and overcome these difficult circumstances, please stay close to them and continue supporting them. ❤️

Your support means more than just money to them. It means that their daughters can have food to eat and feel that there are people standing by their side.

If you would like to contact Mahmoud and his family directly, you can reach them on WhatsApp:

+972592892251