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FIRST ON FOX – In a war-ravaged region of the Middle East, where violence and corruption often dictate the availability of food, one woman has dared to challenge the status quo.
While many believed northern Gaza was beyond reach, 30-year-old Sarah Awaidah from East Jerusalem and her team forged a crucial lifeline. Collaborating with Mena Aid, a coalition under the Multifaith Alliance (MFA), and coordinating with Israeli authorities, she established a logistics framework that allowed hundreds of trucks filled with supplies to enter Gaza, avoiding Hamas and local contractors who had turned hunger into a lucrative business.
The outcome has been profound: over 100,000 families received essential food and supplies. However, the endeavor has come at a steep personal cost for Awaidah, who noted, “I never imagined that creating a safe, independent humanitarian route would mean risking my life.” This sentiment emerged during an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital conducted in a secure location in Israel.
A Historic Airdrop of Help
“Between September 2024 and February 2025, we delivered aid through 346 trucks, reaching 100,622 families,” Awaidah shared. “We decided to expand our distribution on June 30, 2025, at a time when chaos and looting hindered access to Gaza.”
Working with Mena Aid, Awaidah and her team devised an alternative logistics route to distribute critical supplies effectively. In Israel, a trusted logistics company transported goods from the port of Ashdod to the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings. Inside Gaza, another partner managed transportation, while members of Awaidah’s team monitored shipments in real-time.
“Once the aid crosses into Gaza, we ensure it is picked up by another reliable logistics partner and accompanied by our team members,” she explained.
Ensuring presence during offloading and promptly transporting supplies to secure warehouses is paramount. Awaidah emphasized, “We distribute immediately – aiming for same-day delivery, or at most within two to three days. We don’t allow anything to remain idle.”
Facing Organized Challenges
This meticulous system enabled her team to achieve what many deemed impossible: delivering food to northern Gaza, where residents had gone without essential supplies for months. However, this accomplishment unveiled a grimmer reality – an economy where hunger itself had become a profitable business.
“There are numerous private sector businessmen, including some linked to Hamas and other political factions, who capitalize on humanitarian aid for personal gain,” Awaidah stated. “With a critical shortage of goods and inflated prices, some resort to stealing aid to sell on the black market, while others attempt to monopolize supply routes to resell the goods.”
Awaidah’s success inadvertently threatened those who profited from scarcity in the region. By providing free goods, her team not only nourished families but also undercut the inflated prices of basic items, such as sugar and flour.
“If sugar is scarce in Gaza, and we provide it for free, they cannot maintain exorbitant prices,” she said. “As a result, we became a target for those losing profits.”
Targeted by Forces of Corruption
Israeli authorities took steps to dismantle commercial corruption by closing routes that allowed for profiteering, further endangering existing humanitarian channels. “With the private sector shut out, those who previously profited began actively threatening and attempting to infiltrate our humanitarian route,” she pointed out. “They could not control our system, so they targeted me directly.”
The response to her initiative arrived swiftly. Awaidah reported receiving numerous death threats not only from Gaza but from the West Bank as well, stating, “Heartbreakingly, some even came from individuals I once trusted.”
Among the most painful betrayals was discovering that a former partner was involved with a gang attempting to exploit her aid operation. “Despite the betrayal, I stood firm and ensured he and others like him never gained access to our efforts,” she recounted. “Now, my life is at risk because I refused to let the private sector hijack aid for profit or allow political entities to manipulate it for their agendas.”
The Heart of Humanitarian Work
For Awaidah, the families she aids motivate her to persevere. “We built a distribution model based on verified beneficiary lists, utilizing ID checks to guarantee fair and dignified access to food,” she explained. “People stood in line patiently and calmly, even in dire conditions. That dignity of the individuals is seldom represented in the media.”
Over the past month, her organization has delivered 75 trucks of aid, with an additional 112 en route from Ashdod. Each day, Awaidah remains focused on the mission, even as the threats intensify.
“The most painful realization wasn’t the threats from strangers, but the awareness that those close to me were part of the problem,” she admitted. “Fighting outside enemies is simpler. Betrayal from within cuts deeper. Yet, this only reinforces that we are doing something significant. If they are becoming desperate, it means our operation is effective and secure. They cannot manipulate it, so they aim to undermine me instead.”
Defiance in the Face of Danger
Awaidah understands the risks involved in her work. She stated unequivocally, “I will not stop. No one will silence me. I will continue delivering aid to those who desperately need assistance, regardless of the threats. That is my promise.”
Her determination is unwavering. Despite facing overwhelming challenges, Awaidah’s actions have transformed the once bleak landscape of humanitarian aid in Gaza. For countless families who have relied on her initiative, she has achieved what seemed impossible: providing equitable access to essential supplies without imposing a price tag.
