'My mother died due to Israeli blockade, restrictions on entry of medical supplies' - Dr Suad
"I lost my mother two weeks ago, not due to the bombings. She passed away from cancer due to the lack of healthcare facilities that Israel destroyed," she said.
ALOR SETAR - The Palestinians' spirit to restore peace to their land from Israeli control remains unwavering and their prayers to Allah never cease.
Dr Suad Ghaben, 45, shared that the suffering in Gaza motivated her to work harder in supporting the Palestinians and finding solutions to help Gaza overcome challenges.
"We need to continue praying and striving to assist the people in Gaza, especially our families.
"After a year of the ongoing war, I hope all Palestinians in Gaza are safe, especially those forced to flee their homes. I pray they can return, even if their houses have been destroyed by Israeli bombings," she said.
Dr Suad, who is the coordinator of the Gaza Reconstruction Project under the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisation (Mapim), hoped that the Israeli occupation in Gaza would come to an end and that the war in the West Bank would also cease.
She said she found it difficult to put into words her feelings after a year of war in Gaza.
Throughout this time, she said they had endured immense pressure and tremendous suffering from what has happened there.
"On Oct 7, war was launched to destroy Gaza. I hope that peace will prevail so that Israel no longer has control over any other areas. We can find ways to unite against Israel," she said.
Dr Suad also lost family members as a result of the war.
"I lost my mother two weeks ago, not due to bombings but because she passed away from cancer due to the lack of healthcare facilities that Israel has destroyed.
"Israel has imposed restrictions on the entry of medicines and medical devices, leaving no treatment available, especially for serious illnesses like cancer," she said.
She said her heart ached every time she saw sick children and women suffering due to the effects of the war.
"I am deeply saddened; there are times I feel powerless because I cannot help them.
"I can only provide support through humanitarian missions via Mapim, but all the time, we believe Allah SWT will guide us until the end of our struggle against Israel.
"The situation in Gaza remains dire, with no positive changes, but I believe that soon there will be changes at the regional level or in Gaza, although very slowly," she said.
