Before he was brutally assassinated, Mahmoud Almadhoun provided food to at least 3,000 people daily in Beit Lahiya through his 'Gaza Soup Kitchen'   (Photo from X)

By Humaira Ahad

Mahmoud Almadhoun and his friends arranged utensils, fuel, and some basic ingredients setting up 'Gaza Soup Kitchen' to feed the displaced families amid the genocidal war in Gaza.

“My brother Mahmoud and his friends took a bold step; they started a soup kitchen in Beit Lahiya,” Hani Almadhoun wrote about the initiative started by his brother.  “With just four large pots, some wood for fire, and essential ingredients, they began preparing hot meals for our neighbors,” he hastened to add.

Almadhoun, who fed the hungry across the war-ravaged coastal territory, was targeted and assassinated in an Israeli drone attack in northern Gaza on Saturday.  He was the founder of Takiya Al-Shamal Charity in the marketplace of Beit Lahiya’s Project area.

"This morning, an Israeli drone hovered over the neighborhood, waiting for Chef Mahmoud to begin his daily routine at Kamal Adwan Hospital.  He had barely stepped outside when he was targeted and assassinated,” the Gaza Soup Kitchen said in a statement.

“We believe he was killed because of his unwavering dedication to solving problems for Kamal Adwan Hospital and ensuring they had whatever they needed.  Mahmoud was a lifeline, standing in the way of the ethnic cleansing they are determined to carry out—and they would not allow that to continue,” the statement added.

Almadhoun leaves behind seven children, the youngest one only two weeks old.  His oldest child is in the hospital, recovering from critical injuries caused by an Israeli quadcopter.

The Palestinian chef’s bereaved brother said that he was “deliberately targeted by Israel.”

“They ensured he would not survive.  His loss is a devastating reminder of the immense cruelty we face.  May his memory live on as a testament to resilience, and may we find strength in his honor to continue the fight for justice,” he stated, mourning the loss of his brother.

Almadhoun lost dozens of family members in the regime’s aggression on the besieged strip since October last year — including an airstrike that killed his brother, sister-in-law, and three of his nephews in November.

Almadhoun was abducted in December of 2023 amid the genocidal war. During his detainment, the young Palestinian man was subjected to ruthless torture by the forces of the Israeli regime.

Despite personal difficulties, the chef emerged as a beacon of hope for thousands across Gaza.  He was regarded as a man who overcame impossible odds, embodying trademark Palestinian resilience.

“Mahmoud’s absence will be felt in every corner of our lives.  He will be deeply missed, not only by his family but also by the thousands of families in North Gaza who depended on his unwavering support,” Hani Almadhoun wrote in a tribute to his slain brother.

Despite severe difficulties, Almadhoun decided to remain in Beit Lahiya, north of the besieged territory.  The Almadhoun family were forced to rely on animal feed to survive.

According to reports by the United Nations, the area is facing an immediate famine.

Gaza Soup Kitchen and its mission

Amid the genocidal war, which has so far killed more than 44,400 Palestinians, the Israeli military blocked food from entering Gaza, which subsequently pushed 2 million Palestinians to starvation. 

Following his release from jail, Almadhoun decided to open a soup kitchen in late January with the help of five other friends to feed people who were starving.

Word spread rapidly, and many people came forward to help set up the kitchen. With much difficulty, Almadhoun procured leafy greens, onions, and mushrooms. In the absence of original ingredients, a new dish was crafted.  For many in Gaza, this was their first substantial meal in days.

Beit Lahia was “once considered the bread basket of the Gaza Strip.” Narrating his journey, Almadhoun was quoted as saying that he “set out to source basic ingredients like potatoes, carrots, and onions- now rare commodities that most residents of the north can only dream of.”

Presently the kitchen’s capacity has expanded to accommodate meals for up to 3000 people daily, and the numbers continue to grow. People can be seen waiting in long queues to get the food.

"We will keep serving our community, remembering that when all else has failed the Palestinians, the land did not,” Almadhoun was reported as saying before he was silenced forever.

The soup kitchen primarily serves soup consisting of just vegetables because of the scarcity of local ingredients.   “We served a simple vegetable stew- a spin on traditional Gazan recipes like fogaiyya and sumagiyya - made with whatever vegetables we could get our hands on,” Almadhoun wrote in an opinion piece for a U.S. daily on April 3rd.

The menu of the soup kitchen usually revolves around potatoes, carrots, zucchinis, eggplant, mallow, and wild chard.  The kitchen also serves food to patients at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, as well as for malnourished children who frequent the hospital as Israel continues its bombardment over the coastal strip.

“To our surprise, even the medical staff at the Kamal Adwan Hospital was experiencing food shortages,” Almadhoun’s brother said about the food delivery. 

According to Gaza-based media outlets, the apartheid regime has killed at least 17 Palestinian aid workers since Saturday alone. Since October 7, 2023, at least 333 humanitarian personnel have been killed by Israel, the UN said in a report last month.

A total of 44,429 people have been killed in the territory and 105,250 others have been injured since October 7 last year, a statement by the Gaza health ministry noted on Sunday.