As I write, we’re still awaiting news of when our shipment of food and medication will finally be released at the border with Gaza. Our team is desperate for these vital supplies, so we do hope this is very soon – and please know your support is what makes it all possible.
This week, I want to share a message from Dr Saif in Gaza, whose team has just completed an extraordinary mission in northern Gaza – reaching animals and their owners in desperate need of help.
Dr Saif’s update from Gaza
Just over a week ago our team finally made it to the north – a journey that had once seemed almost impossible. The mission was dangerous and exhausting, but the calls for help from farmers and animal owners could not be ignored.
On our way north through Gaza City and the valley that was once a flowing river, we saw scenes that broke our hearts. The water there is now thick with sewage, and among the waste we saw the bodies of donkeys and other animals. Their silence weighed heavily on us.
Locals welcomed our mobile clinic with open arms. Even in crisis, kindness to these gentle animals endures.
When we arrived in the north, people greeted us with warmth and gratitude. Even the Ministry of Agriculture is now helping us reach the most isolated and vulnerable areas while guiding us away from unsafe “red zones” – places where one wrong turn could ignite disaster.
Working side by side, our small team was joined by Ahmed, a brave volunteer and brother of our colleague Mohammed, who was injured last year while bringing us medicine. As always, he came when duty called.
The team treated so many donkeys and horses hooves, easing pain and bringing comfort.
We proceeded to treat dozens of donkeys and horses suffering from hoof problems, wounds and malnutrition. We trimmed hooves, cleaned infections, and eased pain that had gone untreated for far too long – for some animals, this care meant the difference between agony and the ability to stand again.
Our team also responded to an urgent call from Abu Khalid, whose donkey was in terrible pain. We removed embedded objects, cleaned and dressed the abscesses, and carefully realigned the distorted hooves to give this gentle animal a chance to heal.
Mohammed’s brother – Ahmed – joined the team in their travels to the north of Gaza, helping the team provide care to so many animals in need of help.
Yet our work is far from over. We move from camp to camp, village to village – a small unit of hope threading its way through dust and despair. A few generous residents, despite their own hardship, shared what little food and drink they could spare. Their kindness lights our path.
While we were in the north, we received 105 new calls from Khan Yunis, Rafah and Al-Mawasi – proof that the need for first aid for animals remains immense.
Every wound treated, every hoof trimmed, every animal cared for – our Gaza team brings relief and hope in the hardest of times.
We stayed overnight for safety, though anxiety was high. Roads could close at any moment, cutting us off from our families in the south. But our commitment remains unshaken. Even with the threat of the Netzarim Corridor closing, we carry on – grateful to still be alive, and to bring help where it’s needed most.
Thank you my dear friends for all your support to our team in Gaza.
Dr Saif, Gaza mobile first aid clinic
Our small team were able to reach the north of Gaza, helping to bring hope to donkeys who have no one else to care for them.
Thank you ♥️♥️
Everything our Gaza team is doing right now – reaching animals in the hardest-hit areas and bringing relief where hope is scarce – is only possible because of you. Your generosity keeps our mobile vet clinics running in Gaza, the West Bank and Egypt, and ensures the rescued donkeys in our sanctuaries in Israel and the West Bank receive the daily care they need.
Thank you for helping to bring comfort, healing and hope to the donkeys, mules and horses who depend on us every single day.
With your support, our Gaza team gently cleaned and dressed this donkey’s wounds, applied antibiotics, and gave fluids and nourishment – giving this injured donkey a chance to recover and regain strength.