War all around.
Death, pain, destruction.
The despair of those who can no longer cope, of those who don’t know if they will see the sun tomorrow.
So many, far too many voices that no longer have the chance to tell their story.
A few voices, however, continue to try. Despite everything, despite everyone.

His name is Amjad Al-Mhalwi.
He worked with the Al-Najd Developmental Forum in Gaza.
He’s also someone who still holds on to hope despite everything happening around him. Through his friend Doug Hostetter, PCI’s UN Representative, we continue to receive updates about his life in Gaza.
Messages filled with fear, resilience, and the unbelievable courage of him and his family.

Following the latest updates, which you can read here, today we are sharing a continuation of the conversations between Doug and Amjad over the past few months: the terror of the past months for one’s own life and that of one’s family, the flight from Gaza City, the return after the ceasefire, and the hope that, despite everything, continues to burn bright.

September 3, 2025

Doug: “I have not heard from you for several days, but my prayers are still with you and your family 🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏”.

Amjad: “Thank you so much, brother.

I fled my home because of the heavy bombing and went first to my wife’s grandmother’s house and later as the bombing approached to my father-in-law’s home. The destruction than came to my father-in-law’s home. There was heavy bombing and the detonation of explosive shells and mines everywhere. Heavy bombing, shrapnel, tank shells and bullets surrounded my father-in-law’s house. The sounds were terrifying, and we were suffocating from the smell of gunpowder. The whole area was being destroyed. Our children were terrified and could not sleep because of the sounds of the explosions. For protection, we had placed small bags of food and clothing behind our children’s heads as they slept, and in the morning, we found those bags of clothes and food filled with small shrapnel. My father-in-law and I decided to flee to the south as there was no safe place in Gaza City.

We fled, trying to protect our children from terror and death. We bought space on a bus to take us and a few important supplies from the north to the south. We built a temporary tent for me, my wife, my children, my father-in-law and his children at our new location in central Gaza. We built a bathroom and tried to arrange the space. This meant a big tent for us and all the displaced people. We have been here three days. We are only 600 meters from the Mediterranean Sea, and there are often heavy attacks on the beach. The nearest market is 2 kilometers away and there is no transportation. There is no shampoo, soap or sanitary materials for sale in the market, and tools are very expensive.

Can anyone help a family get out from under the death and destruction when their children are in serious need of care, both psychological and medical. I do not want my children to die like their uncles, their aunt, their niece and grandfather. I also do not want my children to lose their father or mother because of the bombing”.

Amgad and his family have been living in a tent in central Gaza for a month and a half, until the announcement of the ceasefire. As soon as the bombing ceased in Gaza City, Amgad and his brothers returned to Gaza City even before the Israelis had fully withdrawn.

October 12, 2025

Doug: “How are you doing?”

Amjad: “I returned to Gaza City with my brothers two days ago, to see how our family home and the homes of some of my brothers have fared. Yesterday I returned to take care of my family here in central Gaza and tomorrow I will go again to help my brothers in Gaza City.

I got some firewood from my house and went south to make food for the kids. Before the war, my family & I lived in our father’s home with my two unmarried brothers and our parents, while my three married brothers had their own homes. Our family home has been further damaged since we left a month and a half ago. The two top floors of our house were badly damaged. Two of my married brothers had apartments in apartment towers which were completely flattened, and a third married brother lived in a separate home which was partially destroyed.

A room on the first floor of our family home
The view our front door

My brothers and I are now trying to clear out the rubble of what is left of our family home and make it livable for all of our families”.

October 14, 2025

Amjad: “We are so happy that the war has stopped! But also so sad, because of the amount of destruction done by the Israeli military in just one and a half days (between the announcement of the Ceasefire, and when it officially came into force) was more than the two full years of great destruction in the entire city of Gaza. The situation is very difficult, and the people are very sad.

In the day and a half before the Ceasefire came into force, the Israeli military destroyed all water and sewage stations in Gaza City. The smell of gunpowder is overwhelming in all the streets. There is also the smell of dead bodies under the houses. Mosquitoes bred from the sewage water attack your body. Life is difficult. The destruction must be removed and the streets cleaned.

I really wish I could leave with my children because Gaza needs years of destruction and there is no health or education. I wish to travel with my children to treat them and educate them before their future is destroyed”.

Doug: “Yes, we will continue to try to get you out for medical treatment. Perhaps when the Rafah crossing is opened at a later stage of the agreement. Do you think that the ceasefire will hold, or do you think that the Israelis will re-start the war?”

Amjad: “All people here worry as do I. Trump has said, “Hamas will give up its weapons, and if it does not, we will disarm it.” I worry that war will again return. . . I need to leave soon”.

Doug: “I will ask my family and friends to pray for your family and your people”.

Amjad: “Please thank your family and friends for their prayers for the safety of our family and their work for the end of this genocide. We need everyone’s help to assure that this ceasefire holds, and Israel is forced to end the occupation of Gaza so that Gazans can rebuild a free and peaceful country”.

Previous stories by Doug Hostetter

Amgad from Gaza: A Civilian Caught in Conflict

Amgad’s Heartfelt Call for Peace: Protecting His Family in Gaza