Gaza Strip – It was a long-awaited household reunion. In October, Reem Rasmi travelled from her residence in Egypt to the Gaza Strip to go to her sister’s household after 5 years. Her nephew was getting married, and it was time to have a good time.
A month later, the 55-year-old is caught within the besieged enclave, displaced by the struggle that broke out on October 7 and that has prevented her from with the ability to return to her husband and kids again in Egypt. For Rasmi, an Egyptian nationwide, the dilemma is doubled: Even when she does handle to cross over on the Rafah border, she might want to go away her sister’s household behind, amid unrelenting bombing from Israel.
“I used to be supposed to depart on October 10, and I’m nonetheless ready,” she mentioned. “I’ve by no means skilled struggle like this earlier than, with explosions in all places. I can’t even describe the extent of terror we’re in.”
Rasmi and her sister’s household have been compelled to flee from the sister’s residence within the al-Zaytoun neighbourhood east of Gaza Metropolis to a different relative’s home within the southern metropolis of Khan Younis due to the bombardment. She mentioned her husband and kids are continuously asking her about whether or not she has heard something from Rafah border officers on when she will be able to cross. She has no agency reply for them.
“My youngsters are consumed by worry and nervousness, and I can not reassure them and inform them I’m positive as a result of they watch the information on TV,” she mentioned. “The pictures present the horror and displacement of individuals on this struggle. Typically even I can not comprehend what is occurring.”
The Rafah crossing is the only exit point for Palestinians and international nationals. It has been repeatedly bombed by Israel and is totally shut to those that want to enter Gaza from the Egyptian facet.
Egypt has mentioned that it might assist safe the evacuation of about 7,000 foreigners and twin nationals from the Gaza Strip. On November 1, the border crossing for exiting was lastly opened after a number of weeks, however just for the evacuation of foreigners and twin nationals, and the coordinated switch of dozens of wounded Palestinians.
A each day checklist names these from Gaza who’ve been allowed to depart. The checklist is vetted by Israel. Lots of of people that have flocked to the crossing over the previous week have been stopped from exiting. Amongst them is Rasmi.
“I’m residing probably the most troublesome days of my life beneath bombardment,” she mentioned. “Luck will not be on my facet.”
‘We have now the appropriate to depart’
An estimated 50,000 twin nationals residing within the Gaza Strip maintain each Palestinian and Egyptian citizenship, based on Alaa al-Din Obeid, a member of the Egyptian group cultural centre in Gaza.
“There are 8,000 Egyptian ladies married to Palestinians, and these moms can move on their citizenship on to their youngsters however to not their husbands,” Obeid mentioned, talking from Rafah.
Palestinians with an Egyptian grandmother may also acquire Egyptian citizenship by way of courtroom orders, he added.
Obeid mentioned that earlier than the struggle, the Egyptian group cultural centre was within the technique of gathering info for an up to date census.
“That is why it’s laborious to know precisely what number of Egyptian Palestinian twin nationals managed to depart by way of Rafah,” he mentioned, saying that the quantity is estimated at 300.
On the Palestinian facet of the Rafah crossing, some Palestinian Egyptians are questioning whether or not Egyptian authorities are doing sufficient to assist them go away.
Khalida Hassan mentioned she and her 4 youngsters have been ready on the crossing because it opened greater than per week in the past.
“We noticed dying with our personal eyes,” the 45-year-old mentioned. “On daily basis we hand over our passports and our luggage get taken and we wait to cross to the Egyptian facet, however they maintain closing the border and return our luggage and paperwork.”
“All of us maintain international passports so there shouldn’t be a distinction between having an Egyptian or US passport,” she added.
Hassan, who has lived in Gaza all her life, mentioned her home was bombed and he or she was compelled to flee south, the place there isn’t a water or electrical energy.
“When will I go away Gaza? Are they ready for me and my youngsters to die right here? All of us have the appropriate to depart the crossing,” she mentioned.
Those that have managed to cross the border have blended feelings.
Mohammed Dahman, 36, holds an Egyptian passport and was lastly in a position to go away by way of the Rafah crossing final week together with his pregnant spouse and two youngsters.
“I left my residence within the Rimal neighbourhood in Gaza Metropolis which held all my recollections with my household and beneath the bombardment fled to Khan Younis to stick with my buddies,” he mentioned. “The thought of being displaced is difficult to take, as I didn’t need to go away town that I really like.”
Dahman determined to depart as a result of he noticed how a lot his younger youngsters have been struggling.
“Once you as a father can’t supply your youngsters consolation and safety, you must make the troublesome resolution to depart,” he mentioned. “My youngsters wouldn’t cease trembling in my arms after I’d maintain them at evening.”
Dahman and his household made their solution to the Rafah crossing on daily basis for per week, ready for lengthy hours earlier than returning to Khan Younis, defeated. Travelling to and from Rafah was a hazard in itself, and he had issue discovering a keen driver to take his household there with every passing day.
Finally, the Dahman household have been in a position to cross into Egypt, the place they’re now staying in Cairo.
“It’s not a simple factor to be in a protected place and [to be] continuously worrying about these you left behind beneath the bombing,” he mentioned. “I hope we are able to return to Gaza quickly and for everybody I do know again there to outlive.”
