How Philadelphians can help people amid Israel-Hamas conflict

Dozens, if not hundreds, of organizations are soliciting donations to help people in Israel and Gaza with basic needs, following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the subsequent fighting.

Locally, these include the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, which has raised more than $9 million, and the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization that has launched an emergency campaign for humanitarian aid in Gaza.

The Jewish Federation has already allocated more than $2.7 million from its Philly Stands with Israel Fund to support residents of Netivot and Sdot Negev, two communities near the Gaza border that the organization has partnered with for more than 20 years.

AFSC, which has called for a ceasefire in the Middle East, is collecting money to provide humanitarian support for Palestinians living in Gaza.

Readers interested in donating can also consider a host of other groups, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, IsraAID, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Federal Trade Commission advises people to vet an organization before giving money by searching its name alongside terms like “complaint,” “rating,” and “fraud,” and using a website like Charity Navigator or the Better Business Bureau’s Give.org.

Residents can also visit charities.pa.gov and use the Pennsylvania Department of State’s search function.