15.07.2026 • 41 Min.

As a young man, Mahmud’s life had no real direction. But when the horror of war and a humanitarian crisis hit the Gaza Strip, he unexpectedly finds his mission: cooking food for the hungry. But as the conflict intensifies, the scale of Mahmud’s project expands to include a hospital the IDF alleges tob e a Hamas stronghold. His brother Hani supports the operation from the U.S. by collecting donations. From thousands of miles away he tries everything he can keep his younger brother safe. But after Mahmud’s death, Hani wonders: Did I inadvertantly deliver my brother? The podcast team can be reached at GazaChef@zeit.de. CREDITS Reporting, Script and Presentation: Yassin Musharbash. Editor: Tim Howard Story-telling consultant: Britta Stuff Producer: Pia Rauschenberger and Markus Gläser Title theme: Joscha Grunewald, based on an idea by Yassin Musharbash. Sound design: Tim Howard, with material by Joscha Grunewald, Tim Howard and Blue Dot Sessions. Additional sound design: Christian Küker, Pool Artists. Recording, editing and post-production: Markus Gläser of Die Zeit and Christian Küker, Pool Artists. The Fact-checking: Luisa Hommerich Additional research and translations: Suha Ma’ay‘a and Firas Halasseh