Online aid seeking and identity management among Palestinian women during the Gaza war

Following 7 October 2023, economic disruption, mass displacement, and the breakdown of informal support systems led many women in Gaza and the West Bank to seek direct assistance for basic survival needs via social media. Using a qualitative constructionist approach and sustained observation of the Facebook groups, this article analyzes 320 appeals authored by women and circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp between November 2023 and April 2025. The thematic analysis indicates that these posts are deliberate public self-presentations through which women manage karāma (dignity), ʿayb (shame), and perceived trustworthiness while pursuing urgent material support. Four recurring patterns emerge: self-protection under social monitoring; hunger-driven disclosure; caregiving as the moral basis for asking; and contested reception involving moral policing and solidarity. Overall, the study shows that digital aid appeals operate as grassroots humanitarian communication and as everyday testimony, functioning as direct, documented evidence of institutional collapse and systemic deprivation rather than mere expressions of personal distress.