Australian citizen journalist Jude Alexander spoke via text message with Dr Mohammed Hamad, who is now living in a tent in Gaza with his wife and five children aged between 8 and 15. He and his family have been repeatedly displaced due to the war and are barely surviving due to the blocking of distribution of food and humanitarian aid.
Before Israel launched its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, Dr Hamad was working as a continuing education supervisor in clinical nutrition and as a university lecturer.
The full interview transcript was first published on and has been edited and abridged. This is the first in a series of interviews with Dr Hamad to be published by 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳.
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Where did you work before the war?
I worked at Al-Azhar University, Al-Aqsa University and the University of Palestine. We had a decent life and everyone here had house, land, work and money.
Are any charities getting aid in to Gaza?
Unfortunately, here in Gaza, aid is being looted and stolen due to the spread of famine. It is better to donate and help citizens directly. I also believe that there is no integrity in distributing aid through associations due to the state of chaos here.
What can the rest of the world do to help? If someone has five dollars, where is best to donate it, if someone has five minutes, what action can they take?
I ask the world if they have a little money even if it is five dollars, to donate to my campaign, and if they have five free minutes, please support us psychologically through social media, as we are psychologically broken.
If someone is at a rally, what do you want us to ask our governments to do?
I ask supporters around the world to ask their governments to stop supplying weapons to Israel and to impose sanctions on them.
What do you want us to yell at the rally on your behalf?
Please chant on our behalf:
Free Palestine
Stop the genocide
Let the aid in
The people of Gaza are dying of hunger
Where in Gaza are you?
After being displaced 10 times, I am now in the middle of Gaza City, almost displaced in the street. We are tired, there is no place to go. I wish I had internet while walking around, so I could show you how people set up tents in the streets. Wastewater is being collected next to the tents. The situation is very bad. Frankly, we find it difficult to photograph people — they do not allow citizens to photograph them.
Why is that?
People here feel ashamed, they have self-respect, they don’t allow anyone to film them to exploit their suffering. The people of Gaza lived in dignity and honour and had enough money to live on.
You are an expert in nutrition — when food arrives, what is the best way to re-feed people without making them even more sick?
We can talk a lot about this, but in short, clean water is the most important thing, as is the availability of disinfectants and the provision of basic foods, such as flour, rice and legumes.
People outside Gaza are overwhelmed. We see the destruction and normally we would expect our governments to help, the United Nations to help. But they are not helping. What can people do right now?
Organised protests will force governments to pressure Israel to stop this genocide.
Thank you very much for your time. I am sorry for what you’re going through.
I don’t know how to thank you for caring about us and supporting us, thank you.
[For more information and to donate, visit: chuffed.org/project/129482-help-me-save-my-family.]
Dr Hamad and his pet cat.png
