As the violence in Gaza continues to escalate, the Palestinian people are facing unimaginable hardships. With at least 26,422 Palestinians killed, nearly 50% children, over 65,087 suffering injuries and enduring the trauma of mass displacement - the need for support is critical. These numbers are only expected to increase rapidly as airstrikes continue. As conditions rapidly deteriorate amid this latest escalation in hostilities, Islamic Relief remains steadfast in assisting Palestinian families in whatever capacity it can by distributing essential items to affected families.

I recently pledged a minimum of £250 to Islamic Relief at one of their fundraisers to aid the affected families and have been thinking of ways to raise this money. Hundreds of thousands of people have had to flee from the north to Rafa in the south where there is still continuous bombardment despite approximately 1.5 million people seeking shelter there. Now, I am challenging myself during the month of Ramadan to run the length of Gaza—25 miles/41 kilometres, the distance these people have had to travel during the recent escalation. This symbolic journey, though a mere fraction of the struggle faced by the people of Gaza, aims to raise awareness and funds for their urgent needs.

With minimal running experience, this will certainly be a challenge for myself (on top of fasting) however I still aim to cover this distance whether it be through running .5, 1 or 2 miles at a time. Despite the extreme difficulties faced by our brothers and sisters in Gaza, their unshakable and unwavering faith has been an inspiration to us all.

It costs just £2 to provide a meal to an individual so I hope to help feed a minimum of 125 people through this fundraiser and insha'Allah you can help me exceed this target. Please donate to help support the people of Gaza and during the month of Ramadan nothing is more important than our Salah and duas so let us all insha'Allah keep these people in our prayers so that they live to see Palestine be free of occupation.

Please donate as a means of Sadaqah and donations are Zakat eligible but please indicate this in the donating message. I will be posting updates of distance covered on here, strava and on socials so please keep up to date on them! (If anyone wants to join me on this venture please also reach out!)