Diaa Alian in Gaza
(Video: TikTok)
Kuwaiti charity NGO Rahma International recently launched a new project in which Arab social media influencers are brought to the Gaza Strip in order to document and share the state of Gazans with the world. The organization operated in Gaza since the start of the war and aids local residents .
The first project operated by the organization, Gaza Calls on You, provides urgent aid to support the wounded, and displaced civilians sheltering in Gazan schools. The second is a campaign called Gevald for Palestine, which is run by a large group of charity organizations and other Kuwaiti associations, under the supervision of the country’s Foreign Ministry.
Two social media influencers with over two million followers each, the Palestinian Diaa Alian, and Jordanian Tamer Bseiso, were recruited by the association. In addition, 26 doctors from around the world were also recruited.
The two influencers entered the Gaza Strip to document the humanitarian aid missions and assist them, but mainly in order to document the lives of the displaced civilians and meet with the Gaza-based online influencers. Bseiso and Alian frequently address the Palestinian issue in the content they post on social media platforms and even criticize social media influencers who don’t do so.
When the two arrived in the Gaza Strip, they kissed the earth and prayed as a sign of gratitude. The content creators uploaded many videos so far, in which they’re seen meeting Gazans, showing the extensive destruction in Gaza, and helping in delivering humanitarian aid to the northern part of the Strip.
Jordan has also called on online influencer Muhammad Nabil, who has four million followers, to film and take part in an aid airdrop mission above Gaza.
Meanwhile, other footage released on social media platforms on Wednesday showcased Gazans from Deir al-Balah taking advantage of the high temperatures to have a leisurely swim along the coastline amid war.
On Tuesday, the IDF spread leaflets in Deir al-Balah warning the Strip’s residents against trying to return to the northern part of Gaza, attempts which are egged on by Hamas in order to try and cause clashes between troops and residents along the Netzarim Corridor. “The IDF continues to fight against terror organizations. Any other information telling you to return north puts you at risk,” the missives read.