Following the recent conflict in Gaza, a Belfast-born man, Khalid El-Estal, has spoken out about the danger his two young children still face in the region. El-Estal’s wife, Ashwak Jendia, was killed in an Israeli bombing alongside his mother, brother, uncle and two cousins. El-Estal returned to Ireland after the tragedy, but his four-year-old son, Ali and one-year-old daughter, Sara remain in Gaza with their grandparents. He has been working to find a way to bring them to Belfast, but has so far not been successful.
El-Estal revealed in a BBC Radio Ulster interview that despite his efforts, there is currently no safe passage out of the region for his children. He spoke of his concern for their safety, “We are hoping for many things, they are working on the documents to take them out…that’s one problem, the second problem is I told my father-in-law and my brothers-in-law that I want the children out. They were afraid to take them, it is dangerous. There is no safe passage, it is not safe.”
A Sinn Féin TD, Chris Andrews, has vowed to raise El-Estal’s case with the Irish government, stating that it is important for the children to have “safe passage” to be reunited with their father. As El-Estal is an Irish citizen, Andrews believes support and counselling care should also be provided to help him deal with the trauma of losing his family and being separated from his children.
In the past month, Gaza has been hit by bombs following an increase in conflict between Israel and Hamas. Israel’s bombing response is in retaliation for Hamas attacking in Israel killing 1,400 people and kidnapping over 200. Official reports from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry indicate that since October 7 9,700 people have been killed in the region. El-Estal has said he was working in Saudi Arabia at the time of his family’s death and has been unable to properly grieve as he has been constantly focused on obtaining safe passage for his children.
It is currently difficult to evacuate Gaza, and an Irish Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson has said that the more than 8,000 foreign and dual nationals, including children, in the region will take time to evacuate. Until then, people like El-Estal and his children will face continued danger and fear for their lives
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