Dog draws international sympathy, Gaza man remains forgotten

Hamed Ashour, a resident of Gaza, once shared a heartwarming story about a loyal dog that became his companion amid the hardships of life under siege. The story, which went viral last year, was featured in Arab and international magazines, reaching more than five million readers and translated into seven languages.

Following the widespread attention, an animal rights organization in Dublin, Ireland, contacted Ashour to check on the dog’s well-being. They requested photos of the tent where Hamed and the dog lived. When Ashour sent them, the organization expressed deep concern for the animal’s condition and even explored ways to evacuate the dog from Gaza through partner organizations, offering it the promise of a cleaner home and a better life.

But no one asked about Hamed.

He was the one living in that torn, makeshift tent, “a place not even suitable for a dog,” as he described. While the dog was seen as deserving rescue, Hamed, like countless other Palestinians in Gaza, remained trapped under siege, forgotten by the very same compassion that overflowed for the animal.

This story comes at a time when Gazans have been starving for weeks under 'Israel’s' ongoing blockade. Food is scarce, clean water is nearly nonexistent, and more than 70 children have already died from malnutrition, according to humanitarian reports. While thousands of tons of aid remain stuck at border crossings, people like Hamed continue to suffer, facing hunger, disease, and the constant threat of death.

The contrast is stark: the world can rally to save a dog, but millions of human beings in Gaza are left to starve, their pleas drowned out by political indifference.