Yousif Abu Shaaban is 19 years old, has dual citizenship (Palestinian and North American) and lives in the Gaza Strip. Like about 600 people in the same context, he was waiting for the right moment to avoid war.
The young man received information from the US Embassy that he could leave the enclave through the Rafah checkpoint with his family, but he said it was too late. As a result of the Hamas conflict with Israel, he lost his 14-year-old sister and his 44-year-old father was seriously injured. He accuses the consulate of negligence for delaying the eviction of citizens and guarantees that he will file a complaint.
On Thursday, the young man’s family went home to get some things and became victims of an Israeli bombing. As a result of the attack, Yusif Abu Shaaban’s sister was killed, and his father was left without an arm.
“The blame lies with the negligence of the embassy and all parties who should be held accountable for me. I demand an international investigation to understand why this happened in my home. My sister was tortured. Who will bring her back? I am the only one I support my father financially. He can’t move without me. He is blind and now he has no whole arm,” Yousif Abu Shaaban began, telling Al Jazeera.
Some Palestinians who hold American passports accuse the US of spending more time and resources expelling Israelis who also hold US citizenship.
“Palestinians who have North American citizenship cannot leave. As are Palestinians of other nationalities, of which there are many here. They all have women, children, elderly people. They cannot continue to walk through the danger zone to reach the border,” another person in the same situation as Yousif Abu Shaaban told Al Jazeera.
At least 4,137 Palestinians, including more than 1,500 children and 1,000 women, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since the war began on October 7. About 13 thousand people were injured.
This Saturday, US authorities said they received information that the Rafah crossing would be opened to allow the exit of dual citizens as first aid trucks from Egypt entered the Gaza Strip. According to international press reports, 20 trucks with medicines and food arrived.
International organizations welcomed the arrival of aid, but still consider it “insufficient” given the critical situation in the Gaza Strip.
Author: morning Post
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.