A Palestinian doctor working in Belfast has spoken of the “catastrophic” devastation after another nine of his relatives were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Omar, who is originally from Gaza, says he and his wife Dalal have lost more than 80 family members since the conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups began.
“There are no words,” he said.
“Every night we put our head down on the pillow wondering are they going to survive the next bombing.”
Omar, who moved to Ireland 26 years ago, said he is speaking out as “we feel like we have been left with no help, it is not fair to leave us like this”.
Speaking from his home in Belfast, where he has lived and worked for seven years, he said they are “in shock” following the latest deaths, which included his wife’s mother, brother and uncle.
They died when an Israeli aircraft struck a sprawling tent camp housing displaced Palestinians in Gaza, killing at least 21 people.
“Before Wednesday, between me and my wife, we have lost 80 family members,” he said.
“There are no words, we struggle every night.
“On Wednesday we had the news that the closest members of my wife’s family had died in an Israeli airstrike on their tents in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis.
“They have been evacuated nine times in the last 14 months, moved from one place to another.
“Every time people are evacuated they’re told this is a safer place, the Israelis are putting these notices online to move. But there are no safe zones.
“They told them to go and then they are bombed, my wife lost her mother and her brother.
“We also lost my wife’s uncle, his three sons and their wives. We don’t know if their children survived.
“My wife’s two sisters and two brothers were badly injured.
“They bombed them at sunset time in Gaza, when they bombed, all the tents were burned - they burned them alive.”
Omar said “nothing makes sense any more”.
“There aren’t any words that can bring our family back, we are lost,” he said.
“Over the last 14 months, our life has become hell. I don’t know what else to describe our pain.”
Omar said they have been calling for help from the Irish and British authorities since the conflict began.
“We are Irish citizens, we have been asking for help from the Irish government,” he said.
“We have also called for help through the British government and Stormont. We received some nice words from Dublin and London, but there has been nothing solid.
“We were told our family needs to apply for a visa and to travel to Cairo, but there’s no safe passage from Gaza to Cairo.
“They need $5,000 to leave the Gaza strip, but the border is also closed.”
He added that when Ukrainian people came to Ireland, they were able to come without any Irish connections.
“We work here professionally and pay our taxes, but we were told our families had to get to Cairo and pay for a visa,” he said.
“We had hoped this period would pass and our family would get to safety, but it’s too late for some of them now.
“It’s catastrophic, we cannot function any more in this sort of situation.
“We feel like we have been left with no help, it is not fair to leave us like this.”
