The Dream of a Bridge Over the Sea: Where Human Sea Bridge Began

“I could only dream that there was a bridge over this sea.” Yaser was not describing a structure. He was expressing the need for a passage between confinement and safety, between powerlessness and action.

A testimony from Gaza

Yaser Al Rayyes lived through the war in Gaza, repeated attempts to reach the Rafah crossing and the wait for help that did not come. In the film, personal footage documents destruction, displacement, daily life under threat and separation from his family.

Near the border area between Gaza and Egypt, looking out to sea, he wondered whether it might be possible to swim to safety. Leaving alone would have meant abandoning his family; attempting the crossing with them would have meant risking their lives. From that impossible choice came the image of a bridge.

“Are we so unimportant in the eyes of the world? Has the world truly abandoned us in Gaza?”

The words that accompanied the film

The text below is the message Yaser shared with the video when it was first released. It is presented here in English while preserving his meaning and sequence. Since then, the family’s journey has reached decisive milestones, including their reunion in Cairo on 17 June 2026.

This video contains part of what I experienced in Gaza during the war — a war I will never forget and that will remain engraved in my memory for the rest of my life.

I wish I could erase those memories, but those were the most difficult days of my life.

I clearly remember my repeated attempts to reach the Rafah border crossing with my family, searching for a way to survive and leave Gaza. I stood near the Egyptian border, waiting in silence and hoping that someone would finally come to help us.

But the answer was always the same: “We hope the war will end for you.”

No one could truly help us — except when money had to be paid.

One question kept haunting me: are we so unimportant in the eyes of the world? Has the world truly abandoned us in Gaza?

What broke me most was understanding that saving a life can sometimes depend on money — and only then does the world begin to look.

The video also shows me sitting near the dangerous area between Gaza and Egypt, on the beach that separates them. I looked at the sea and wondered how I could swim across it to reach Egypt, a place of safety.

But I was not alone. I was with my family, and even thinking about the crossing meant facing the fear of losing them at sea.

I could only dream that there was a bridge over this sea — a bridge that could carry us from death, fear and destruction towards a life of safety.

Today, we are building my dream: the dream of a bridge over the sea that can help save my family, and the children of my people in Palestine.

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From a dream to a capacity for action

Pont de Mer Humanitaire was born from the meeting of this lived experience, the mobilisation around the Al Rayyes family and a collective refusal to look away. The “bridge” became a method: document a situation, connect medical, humanitarian and institutional actors, maintain follow-up and turn an individual emergency into a realistic pathway.

The incorporation of the French nonprofit on 16 February 2026 gave that commitment a durable framework, governance and responsibility. Its history remains inseparable from Yaser and his family, but its mission extends beyond them: helping restore access to care and education when war closes ordinary routes. Human Sea Bridge is the organisation’s international name. Discover our story.

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The English-subtitled film remains available at the top of this article without requiring an Instagram account. On social media, you can also follow updates on pathways, solidarity actions and their progress.

Video and sound production: © Émilie Tinard – Jérôme Tinard. All rights reserved. Reproduction or reuse requires prior permission.