Comedy, courage: The life and death of Gaza’s Mahmoud Shurrab

Mahmoud Shurrab was known for his drama videos, earlier turning his level into a mode to assistance radical erstwhile the Gaza warfare began.

Mahmoud Shurrab’s purpose had ever been to dispersed happiness. His societal media pages had agelong been fashionable successful Gaza – helium was known for his witty posts, his comedic skits astir regular life, and his acting, appearing successful section productions.

“I adore creativity, immoderate it is, and immoderate it volition be,” was pinned to the apical of his Facebook page.

Israel’s warfare connected Gaza enactment galore of Mahmoud’s dreams connected hold, but his videos continued. He smiled passim them, adjacent cracking jokes – but the absorption was present different: humanitarian aid.

Mahmoud became a acquainted show successful displacement camps, hauling crates of bottled h2o and cooking oil, distributing babe formula, and helping acceptable up tents for families who had mislaid everything. He utilized his societal media platforms to rally enactment from donors abroad.

And helium moved from country to country nether bombardment, driven by 1 conviction: “People request me, I can’t stop.”

On June 21, an Israeli aerial onslaught deed the structure wherever Mahmoud was sheltering successful al-Mawasi, a alleged Israeli “humanitarian zone” westbound of confederate Gaza’s Khan Younis. Mahmoud was killed successful the strike.

Mahmoud Shurrab and his girl Dalal [Courtesy of Lama Shubeir]

The 32-year-old near down his wife, Lama Shubeir, and their four-year-old daughter, Dalal. Early successful the war, Mahmoud saw an accidental to nonstop them to information successful Egypt, portion helium stayed down to assistance the radical of Gaza.

“He [sent america away] to support his daughter’s life,” Lama told Al Jazeera. “He was truthful acrophobic for her and wanted her to unrecorded similar immoderate different kid successful the world, successful safety. He wanted Dalal to turn up safely. But I ne'er imagined we’d beryllium isolated for a twelvemonth and a fractional without seeing him ever again.”

Passion for charity

Mahmoud was calved and raised successful Khan Younis, wherever helium mislaid his father, Khamis, astatine the property of nine. Khamis was known locally for his foundation work, which became 1 of Mahmoud’s passions on with drama and acting.

It each stemmed from his tendency “to marque radical happy”, said Lama.

The mates had archetypal met successful 2010 connected a recreational trip, earlier marrying successful 2019.

“Mahmoud loved bringing joyousness to people,” Lama said. “All helium dreamed astir was gathering a blessed beingness with us. People loved him for his simplicity and his willingness to help.”

It is truthful possibly not astonishing that Mahmoud chose to enactment successful Gaza erstwhile the warfare broke out, contempt the risks.

“Whenever donors reached retired to him … to enactment a charitable cause, helium ne'er hesitated,” Lama said. “I was ever disquieted astir him moving astir during the bombing, but helium would say: ‘People request me. I can’t stop.'”

Once Israel’s warfare connected Gaza started, Mahmoud focused connected assistance projects, including h2o organisation [Courtesy of Lama Shubeir]

His foundation enactment meant helium was much than conscionable a personage successful Khan Younis – helium was portion of the community, sharing successful its joys and sorrows.

“Mahmoud was kind, tall, and had a beauteous smile,” said Mousa Awad, a 27-year-old, besides from Khan Younis. “Just seeing him made america laugh. I saw him successful each displacement camp. When we needed drinking water, I called him… helium came the adjacent morning.

“He looked exhausted, but ever talked astir seeing his girl soon.”

Love for his family

Mahmoud longed for his girl Dalal, whom helium called each greeting and each nighttime if connection lines weren’t cut. He was blessed knowing that she had started preschool and swimming lessons – distant from the horrors helium was experiencing successful Gaza.

Just 2 hours earlier his death, helium called, speaking for 50 minutes arsenic helium watched Dalal devour meal with her mother. He had to extremity the telephone to absorption connected a h2o organisation run helium was planning.

Lama struggles to judge that Mahmoud is gone.

“He was taken from his girl and me,” she said. “I spent fractional my beingness with him – done joyousness and hardship. He loved our girl truthful much. He dreamed of seeing her again, of rebuilding Gaza, of starting a caller life.”

“I person nary words for the world. I lone commune that this warfare ends.”