In Gaza, survival is no longer a right, it is a privilege. For over two million Palestinians, daily life now centers on access to the most basic human necessities: a sack of flour, clean water, soap, and if you’re lucky medical care. Unlike the fictional world of The Hunger Games read in books and watched in the movies by millions of children, the suffering in Gaza is painfully real, as the world has witnessed over the past 22 months.
Trapped under siege, relentlessly bombarded, and cut off from vital resources, Gaza has become a war zone not only of missiles, but of hunger, fear, and displacement. As parents, it is heartwrenching to see children who are malnourished, who through no fault of their own, are withering away in plain sight. In this desperate arena, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is publicly presented as a lifeline. But is it truly a neutral relief organization or is it being manipulated into becoming a tool for control?
The GHF was established to respond to urgent humanitarian needs where formal systems have collapsed. With Gaza’s infrastructure in ruins, electricity reduced to a few hours per day, and over 70% of the population reliant on food aid, the Foundation has filled a vital gap. But the situation on the ground has raised questions.
To many in Gaza, the so-called humanitarian corridor (via GHF) is just another extension of a larger project: to depopulate, destabilize, and ultimately annex. Phase one was displacement and destruction. Phase two appears to be starvation (via GHF) and despair pushing those who remain to either submit or leave. Recent events have shown that the GHF is being used to destabilise and depopulate Gaza.
The Real Hunger Games is more than a metaphor; it is a grim reflection of a man-made crisis. Donating to Gaza may bring temporary relief, but until a real shield a just and principled leadership is established, true protection will remain elusive. As the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “The leader is a shield behind whom they fight, and he protects them. If he commands justice, he will be rewarded.” (Sahih Muslim)
As parents we have a vital role, the need of the time now for Gaza and all other oppressed people is to establish this leader and the system from which protection can be sought. Educating our children on real life events, linking it back to our heritage of Islam and looking towards the master role model, Muhammad (SAW) for solutions. Keeping silent and being bystanders is not an option as we witness orchestrated destruction and famine of our Ummah. Calling for protection of the weak, the moving of those who have capability to protect the innocent is a duty upon us all.