Games for Gaza bundle raises $200,000 for Medical Aid For Palestinians
An Itch.io game bundle launched to fund medical services and support for Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and Lebanon has raised $200,000 in five days. Organised by Esther Wallace of Oak Grove Games, and due to run till 9th November 2023, the Games for Gaza bundle includes 256 videogames, physical games, assets, soundtracks and books from 140 designers for $10, with all proceeds going to the UK-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians.
Wallace and her collaborators put together the bundle in response to a colossal escalation in long-standing hostilities this month between Israel and Hamas, the group in control of the Gaza Strip. On 7th October 2023, Hamas carried out a surprise raid across the border with Israel, killing over 1400 people, the majority of them civilians, while taking hundreds of hostages, in retaliation for Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, Israeli settlements in the West Bank and reported settler violence against Palestinians.
Israel's government have responded by declaring war and conducting a programme of air strikes that have killed over 8000 Palestinians, including thousands of children. Some have disputed the Gaza health ministry's reported casualty figures, but the United Nations among other international organisations have pronounced them trustworthy. The UN have called for an immediate ceasefire, as Israel moves ahead with plans for a ground offensive.
The bombardment has left hundreds of thousands of Gazans without access to food, water, shelter, electricity, medical supplies and internet. As reported by Game Developer, several developers and publishers have announced donations to Palestinian aid charities this month, including Devolver and Among Us creators
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