Choose Love in Palestine
The dream to learn
At eight years old, Rua’a is living in Yarmouk Camp in Gaza with her family. Israel’s genocide has shaped everything she knows. Her family has been forced to flee home multiple times in the past three years, and her father was killed.
Instead of being at school, or the playground with other children and dreaming about her future, Rua’a and her siblings spent nearly a year suffering through famine, while living in cramped tents and exposed to harsh winters.
Despite her loss and the situation she was living in, Rua’a held on to one simple dream: to learn.
“I have nothing. I want to learn, and I know my mother has no money.”
Through the Noor Orphan Care Program, our partner Taawon met eight-year-old Rua’a.
When the Noor Program found Rua’a and her family, they were able to provide holistic care thanks to donations from Choose Love. They helped with medical care, access to food, and counselling to help address the trauma and clothes parcels every quarter. Crucially for Rua’a and the dream she refused to let go, she and her siblings were able to access education.
This support made a significant difference: Rua’a’s family can now imagine a future beyond survival. Rua’a’s mother expressed relief.
“For the first time in years, I feel my children have a chance to live with dignity.”
Palestinians like Rua’a are still experiencing a genocide and the physical wounds and mental trauma are life-changing.
Since Choose Love started working in Palestine at least 75,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed, including at least 22,000 children. A further 188,000 Palestinians have been physically injured, while half a million people have been forced to flee their homes and seek safety in other countries. And despite the announcement of a “ceasefire”, the death toll continues to rise every day.
In 2026, more than 1,400 Palestinians were killed in Gaza alone despite the “ceasefire”.
Choose Love is committed to centering, resourcing and amplifying the voices of Palestinian-led organisations wherever we can.
The Palestinian communities who built these incredible organisations know where your money is most urgently needed to save lives. They know which projects to invest in as we look ahead to help Palestinians not just survive the present, but plan for the future.
Since 2023, we have been able to grant over £6.41 million to our Palestinian-led partners across the country, thanks to our supporters, philanthropists and events. This has helped fund essential food and water, healthcare, shelter, mental health support and the largest orphan care programme in the capital.
Finding care in North Gaza
Zina, an 11-year-old girl living in Al-Shati Camp with her family, continues to face relentless hardship. Clean water is still scarce, there is little to no food and sanitary conditions are constantly deteriorating.
One day, Zina became seriously ill. She began showing symptoms including vomiting, high fever, and intense stomach pain.
“She was in so much pain, and there was nowhere else to go,” Nihad, Zina’s mum.
Her mother was frightened as health systems had collapsed under the weight of war. Hospitals that people once knew were now damaged, overwhelmed or inaccessible.
But because she has recently received treatment herself, Zina’s mum was one of the lucky ones that knew about the medical point in the camp supported by Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).
When Zina arrived, she was distressed and severely dehydrated. The medical team quickly assessed Zina and diagnosed her with acute viral hepatitis – an illness increasingly affecting children in Gaza due to unsafe water, overcrowding and deteriorating sanitation.
“They did some tests and diagnosed me with hepatitis,” Zina recalls. “They treated me and gave me instructions to take care of myself. I felt like I was in good hands.”
The team at the medical point sees between 150 and 170 patients daily, most of them internally displaced people with no access to healthcare.
“What’s particularly heartbreaking is that even our basic dietary advice becomes impossible here. In normal conditions, we’d recommend light foods with sugars or starches to help children recover. But there’s no flour, no sugar, no food. We’ve had to depend entirely on IV fluids and oral rehydration salts.” Dr. Shaaban
Zina’s condition improved after the treatment and regular follow-up care she received. Her fever went down, the vomiting stopped, and she slowly regained her strength, a quiet recovery in the middle of unimaginable hardship.
Medical points like MAP’s literally save lives and they’re more than just receiving support. Zina’s story is one of many children, and a reminder of how accessible healthcare can mean saving a life, even under war and siege.
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