The Milpitas Beat last week caught back up with local activist Trinidad Escobar, who has in the past year worked closely with a number of Gaza residents to support their efforts toward relocation and survival. We last connected with Escobar, a resident of Milpitas, in March, when she arranged for us to interview several Palestinians to learn about and share the details of their plight. That reporting helped two Gazan families secure safe passage into Egypt.
For this story, we interviewed Mohammed Abu Jarad. Currently in Khan Yunis, Gaza, Mohammed is a graphic designer working with the Gaza library system.
Many Gaza libraries have been destroyed during Israel’s bombardment of the territory, which began after the terrorist organization Hamas – Gaza’s governing body – invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, and murdered almost 1,200 innocent people while taking almost 250 hostages. Israel in turn launched an 11-month invasion which has claimed 40,000 lives and incited worldwide accusations of genocide. Israelis and the Palestinians in Gaza, The West Bank, and East Jerusalem have been in a gridlocked conflict since Israel’s founding in 1948, with each group having laid fervent claim to the land they all occupy, and each side’s leaders having expressed the will to eliminate the other side.
The interminable conflict can have a dehumanizing impact on regular people like Mohammed, who like Escober is an artist. Whereas Mohammed works with libraries and graphic design, Escobar is known for having painted the giant, striking mural inside our own Milpitas Library.
“I really see myself in him and hope others in our city can relate as well,” Escobar explained to The Beat. “He’s an ordinary guy in a terrible situation.”
Mohammed described his situation as “a life of displacement for me and my family. We are trying to stay alive with regard to our needs.”
The family struggles daily to obtain food and water, and Mohammed’s two children, Ashraf and Youseff, also require milk and pampers, which are in terribly short supply.
“There is fear and insecurity, as we do not know which moment will be the last moment, meaning that our fate is unknown and we are now facing our fate,” Mohammed shared. “Winter is coming and the cold is unforgiving and nothing can protect us from that.”
Mohammed has two sisters, Manar and Farah, who were pursuing their education but were unable to complete it due to the war. Meanwhile, several months after the war began, their mother began to suffer from kidney problems due to Gaza’s widespread water pollution. The family is urgent and attentive about keeping her condition stable. (In all, the family consists of 11 people, including the 2 children.)
“I am now 27 years old and will not spend more years waiting,” Mohammed said. “So I would like to leave here to a European Union country or perhaps Canada, where I can live there and build a better future for me and my family…”
Mohammed went on to say that there is “no life” currently in Khan Yunis. The homes that haven’t been fully destroyed have been at least partially destroyed. “Therefore,” he said, “we were all dispersed. Our friends became far away, some of whom we lost, as well as our neighbors and relatives. Everyone was dispersed and we lost many of them. As you know, we grew up here and we have memories and friends in every street.”
Sounding a note of desperation, Mohammed said, “Everyone is afraid and wishes the war will end. Feeling insecure is a bad feeling as you have no guarantee for your life and at any moment you may die.”
Palestinians hear talk of the crossing out of Gaza being opened, but that event is in a continual state of delay. In the meantime, they discuss the high prices of everyday goods, which prevent everyone from buying what they need.
Every week, Escobar sends money out to Mohammed and his family. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to ask people for help. Readers can access it and donate here. With the one-year anniversary of October 7 looming, a ceasefire continues to not materialize, and the Israeli government (despite widespread protests from its people) has repeated its intention to continue its war effort until Hamas is destroyed.
“which has claimed 40,000 lives” That number comes from Hamas. You believe them? Media always has a disclaimer for Israelis’ casualty numbers stating they can’t confirm them, but no disclaimer for Hamas. No bias there. It’s unfortunate for the children of Gaza but the adults just watched in silence (complicit?) while Hamas built up a formidable stockpile of weapons in their homes and neighborhoods to attack Israel. Aren’t they smart enough to figure out what Hamas is going to do and Israel’s response? Mohamad and Trinidad, you had decades to be concerned, but your concerns for family and friends is too late. They could have left years ago, but they didn’t, so now they are paying the price.