Samaiya Mushtaq

You're committed. I was like, I'm not going to be the person that tells you you can't go. I'm not going to stop you. I was like, I think that you're the kind of person who honors your commitments. And he sort of saw that as me supporting him again.

You're committed. I was like, I'm not going to be the person that tells you you can't go. I'm not going to stop you. I was like, I think that you're the kind of person who honors your commitments. And he sort of saw that as me supporting him again.

Before he left, there was sort of rumblings of a ground invasion in Rafah. And then a week into his mission, they invaded Rafah. And then once they invaded Rafah, there was no exit. There's no way out of Gaza without Rafah.

Before he left, there was sort of rumblings of a ground invasion in Rafah. And then a week into his mission, they invaded Rafah. And then once they invaded Rafah, there was no exit. There's no way out of Gaza without Rafah.

You know, his observations were really poignant.

You know, his observations were really poignant.

The day Mahmoud told me we're not leaving on the date that we are supposed to leave, that there's no plan right now for how we are going to leave or when, that was when I was like, oh, God. Like, all the anxieties I'd had the first mission, it was like, okay, now, now we're actually at the point where he really might not come back.

The day Mahmoud told me we're not leaving on the date that we are supposed to leave, that there's no plan right now for how we are going to leave or when, that was when I was like, oh, God. Like, all the anxieties I'd had the first mission, it was like, okay, now, now we're actually at the point where he really might not come back.

I will never regret him going.

I will never regret him going.

I remember asking him, you know, what's the first thing you want to do? And he said, I just want to thank you for being so supportive of this, so supportive of me.

I remember asking him, you know, what's the first thing you want to do? And he said, I just want to thank you for being so supportive of this, so supportive of me.

I think it was that feeling of being seen and acknowledged for my part, my role. You know, that it wasn't taken for granted.

I think it was that feeling of being seen and acknowledged for my part, my role. You know, that it wasn't taken for granted.

Yeah, I think so too. The courage for Mahmoud to go is obvious. I think the courage for me to be on board is more understated. And I think he could see that. And that courage comes from love.

Yeah, I think so too. The courage for Mahmoud to go is obvious. I think the courage for me to be on board is more understated. And I think he could see that. And that courage comes from love.

I think I would tell myself to temper fear with hope.

I think I would tell myself to temper fear with hope.

Fear is one way of looking at the future, of evaluating all that could go wrong. But if you let hope in too, you know, hope can prevail and the future can be much brighter than fear would have you think.

Fear is one way of looking at the future, of evaluating all that could go wrong. But if you let hope in too, you know, hope can prevail and the future can be much brighter than fear would have you think.