The Israelis have killed over 37,000 Palestinians, including over 15,000 children, in Gaza at the time of writing this article. The Israelis, through indiscriminate bombing of homes, schools, hospitals, markets, refugee camps, and highways, have turned Gaza into a “graveyard for thousands of children” and a “living hell for everyone else”, according to UNICEF.

As the historical land of Palestine, considered blessed by the three Abrahamic religions, crumbles under the weight of Israeli bombs, tanks, and bullets, what can ordinary people do to support its residents, subjected to mass ethnic cleansing and genocide by the Israelis? Here is a list of actions you can take to help the people of Gaza in these turbulent and unprecedented times.

1. Financial Contributions

You can contribute any amount of money to help provide food, clothes, blankets, medical supplies, and other necessities urgently needed in Gaza. Muslims may also utilize their zakat (compulsory alms-giving) for this purpose. There are many organizations counting on your donations to carry out relief and humanitarian work in Gaza, such as World Food Program, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Islamic Relief, and Muslim Aid. 

Palestinian children look on in despair amid ruins of their homes destroyed by Israelis during bombardment of Rafah in southern Gaza on October 31, 2023. (Mohammed Abed/AFP)

2. Social Media Awareness

Use your social media accounts on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms to spread awareness about Israel’s atrocities in Gaza. Share information from authentic sources and be unapologetic in your support for the oppressed Palestinians. Also, utilize applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and WeChat to spread awareness among your contacts. 

3. Authentic Research

Devote some of your time to research the history of the Palestine-Israel conflict, including the Nakba, the Israeli occupation of 1967, and the incessant killing of the Palestinians by Israelis since then. Also find out which international laws and resolutions of the United Nations have been violated by Israel through its occupation, blockading, bombing, and killing sprees in Palestine over the decades. Actively share your findings with those around you.

4. Unique Content

Using your research and the content provided by verified sources, produce fresh literature in support of Gaza in the form of pamphlets, books, e-books, blog posts, and articles for mainstream media. Also try to create visual content – from simple images and videos to diagrams and infographics – describing various aspects of the Palestinian occupation and invasion by Israel.  

A map showing how Palestinian land has been usurped by Israel over the years. The green strip at the western end shows Gaza before Israel’s latest attacks. (Source: PalestinePortal.org)

5. Petitions and Letters

Create or sign online petitions demanding from your government or local authorities to support the people of Gaza. Share such petitions with all your contacts to gather maximum signatures. Also, write emails, letters, and open letters to your elected representatives to help the Palestinians, and urge them to raise the issue of the their oppression at the highest diplomatic level.  

6. Public Messages

Collaborate with others, such as local groups and charities, to have messages in support of the people of Gaza displayed on billboards, advertising hoardings, buses, buildings, and notable venues. Encourage your family and friends to join the cause and help provide the finances needed for such a venture. 

Also read: A List of Crimes Committed by Israel in Gaza

7. Peaceful Protests

Join local protests and rallies – and help organize them if there are none – in support of the children, women, and men being massacred in Gaza each day. Hold meaningful banners and placards to convey your concern for Gaza to the world. Make sure to keep such protests strictly peaceful and within the confines of the law. 

A massive rally in Istanbul in support of Gaza in late October 2023.

8. Commercial Boycott

Boycott all Israeli brands, products, and services as well as those supporting Israel in its war on Gaza. Urge your local convenience stores and supermarkets to avoid stocking these products. There are various groups and websites, including The Witness, that list the brands supporting Israel in its occupation and oppression of Palestine.  

9. Reaching Out

Get in touch with the residents of Gaza via social media platforms such as X and express your support for their cause. Try to get their stories across to mainstream media and social media influencers. Ask them in what other ways you can help them during these desperate times. Provide volunteering services, such as content writing and video editing, for charities operating in Gaza.   

10. Prayers

For Muslims, dua is a powerful means to counter any difficult situation whose power must never be undermined. Therefore, pray to Allah to grant victory to the people of Gaza, keep them in His protection, equip them with sabr and determination, and grant the highest reward in jannah to their deceased.

No copyright intended for this article. Feel free to share, reproduce or extract content from this article which was inspired by a YouTube video of Dr. Zakir Naik.