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

Written by Doug Hostetter, International Representative of Pax Christi International at the United Nations in New-York

March 20, 2025

After Israel and Hamas agreed to a US-sponsored ceasefire on January 19, just before President Trump was inaugurated, Amgad and his family made their way back on foot from their tent in Khan Younis in southern Gaza to their bombed-out home in Gaza City in the north, from which they had fled when the war began on October 7, 2023. The first phase of the ceasefire called for a 42-day ceasefire during which some Israelis hostages would be exchanged for a larger number of Palestinian prisoners and negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire. The second phase of the ceasefire called for total withdraw of Israeli forces from all of Gaza in exchange for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages and a large number of Palestinian Prisoners and the negotiation of a permanent end to the war in Gaza. The third phase of the ceasefire agreement was to outline the reconstruction and governance of Gaza.

On January 29, 2025, Amgad and his family made it back to their mostly destroyed family home in Gaza City. He was able to reunite with his brother who had stayed behind to bury their father, brother and sister, when Amgad fled with the rest of the family to southern Gaza in November 0f 2023. Amgad and his family worked to clear their home of rubble and unexploded ordnance while getting tarps for the roof and sheets of plastic for the windows and doors. On March 16, Amgad’s wife gave birth via C-section to a healthy baby girl, Sumaya, in a hospital in Gaza City. That evening, I received this text from Amgad.

Tomorrow will be beautiful. We are preparing to receive relatives and friends, receive them, receive gifts for the newborn, and also distribute sweets to those who come to congratulate them. I wish you, your friends and family could all join us 💕

The following morning, at 2:30 AM, just as the family was preparing for the pre-dawn Ramadan breakfast, the Israelis, without warning, broke the ceasefire with bombs and shelling that killed more than 400 Palestinians including 200 children.

Texts from Amgad – 3/18/2025

War back

We worry so much

I really hope to leave Gaza quickly for the sake of my little girl and also for the sake of my wife because she is sick from giving birth and also has old injuries in her body that need treatment.

Amgad

Texts from Amgad – 3/18/2025

Thank you and your family and friends for their prayer

After we returned from the south of the Gaza Strip to the north, we hoped that the first phase would end and the second phase would enter, so that the war would not return and we would need to flee from place to place and from tent to tent. What should we do? We got used to it and arranged our affairs to try to leave Gaza for medical assistance, but every day the news changes since our return and negotiations to leave for medical assistance failed more than once because of Israel’s demands.

Every day since the end of the first phase and the closure of the crossings, prices have doubled. When my wife gave birth by caesarean section and needed care at home at two o’clock in the middle of the night, there was shelling everywhere and loud sounds of shelling. I carried my wife and my daughter to another room, where we slept. Now we are very worried about where to go. We should have the right to live in safety without worry, fear of being killed. My children have the right to live in peace. This war has brought destruction to our children and their future.

Thank you for your love and your prayers.

Please stop the war. We do not want to die. My wife, children and I want to live in safety without fear. I want my 4-day-old daughter to live in safety. I want us to sleep without the sounds of bombing and killing. Please ask European and Arab leaders to tell Israel to stop the war now.

Amgad