As we write to you today, a very fragile ceasefire has been announced between Israel and the Iranian regime. It remains unclear whether or not this period of distress and our concern for family, friends and colleagues – Jewish and Palestinian – sheltering from missiles is coming to a close.

During this same period, the conflict in Gaza has continued to exact a deadly toll and even intensified, whilst most of the world’s attention has been on the conflict between Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

As we continue to monitor developments regarding the wider region, we must also remain focused on the dire situation in Gaza.

Join us on Tuesday 8th July from 7-8 pm, to hear from Clean Shelter’s founders, Dr Tom Kellner and Seba Abu-Daqa, one Jewish Israeli and one a Gaza-born Palestinian, about their joint work on the ground in Gaza providing critical emergency sanitation and shelter.

Clean Shelter was founded in January 2024 to provide immediate relief to displaced communities in Gaza, including tents, toilets, community structures, and access to clean water. The creation of Seba Abu-Daqa, a Palestinian living in Munich, and Dr Tom Kellner, an Israeli living in Berlin, is a response to the urgent sanitation needs and growing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

From Tom and Seba:  “We started out small – collecting donations for the construction of a few toilets in Al-Mawasi. But as weeks went by, we realized that many people are interested in supporting our work and wish, as we do, to provide essential aid and relief to displaced communities in Gaza; we received enough donations to build more toilets, then toilets with showers, and then take part in the establishment of a whole IDP camp together with our local partner Damour for Community Development.

We’ve constructed and financed more than a thousand toilets, showers, tents, and community spaces and structures, benefiting approximately 10,000 displaced persons. Since May 2024, we have also been purchasing and delivering clean drinking water to approximately 2000 families daily; in July 2024, we acquired our first desalination unit, powered by solar energy, which provides 2-3 cubic litres of clean drinking water per day.”

In this briefing, you’ll hear about the immense challenges that Clean Shelter has faced, overcoming blockades, regular air strikes, and continuing displacement to provide essential sanitation services where they’re most needed. Tom and Seba will also discuss the realities of working together as a Jewish-Palestinian team.

We are currently running a Gaza aid campaign that will help fund Clean Shelter’s work. You can donate HERE.