Tariq Hamouda and his wife Manal are very sad because their family members from three different generations have died. They are not near the war in Gaza.
The Palestinian Americans, living in Maple Grove, Minnesota, are finding it hard to believe that their 42 relatives were killed in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. They have been struggling to understand this news for over a week now.
Hamouda tells us that his wife, who used to be called Saqallah before they got married, had a very sad experience. On October 19, their family home in the Sheikh Ejleen area of Gaza City was destroyed by two explosions. As a result, they lost four of her brothers, one sister, and many of their children.
Hamouda and his family believe that the attack was carried out by the Israeli air force. Israel has attacked Gaza City many times since October 7, including several attacks in that area on the same day.
CNN cannot verify or prove on its own that the strike was from Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they can’t say anything unless they know the exact location of the house. The family did not give CNN the coordinates because they were afraid of getting in trouble or being harmed.
A neighbor captured a video that shows the remains of a family’s home. The buildings were burned and destroyed, while the neighboring houses were not damaged.
“Yesterday, Hamouda told CNN that Manal is still refusing to admit what happened. ” However, the sadness that they are experiencing in their home in the Midwest is genuine.
She really loves everyone in her family. Hamouda said that his wife and he are from Gaza but have been living in Minnesota since 2004. His wife spent the summer with them.
There has been fear and lots of fights between Israel and militant groups in Gaza since then, but not like this, he says.
Israel started a war against Hamas on October 7. This was because Hamas broke through the barrier between Gaza and Israel and killed over 1,400 people, including civilians and soldiers. They also kidnapped more than 220 people. Israeli authorities reported this information.
In reaction, Israel carried out very destructive attacks on Gaza. It wants to get rid of Hamas, which is in charge of the land near the coast. However, the situation is difficult for the 2. 2 million Palestinians living there because they are unable to leave due to the Israeli and Egyptian border closures. They are stuck in the middle of the conflict.
According to recent information from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, Israeli bombings have caused the death of over 8,485 Palestinians and injured more than 21,000 others. These numbers were gathered from sources in the Hamas-controlled area. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, another 1. 4 million people have been forced to leave their homes within the country. This happened after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) advised people in northern Gaza to relocate to the southern part of the region.
But Hamouda doesn’t have enough time to properly grieve for the deceased, he explains, because he is still concerned about what will happen to the people who are still alive.
In South Florida, Manal’s cousin Eyad Abu Shaban is also very upset. “It feels as if everything around you suddenly freezes,” he explained.
“It’s not a small number like one, two, three, or four – it is a group of 42 members, and it’s extremely difficult to handle. ”
Abu Shaban says that the people who died were between three months and 77 years old. They were all living together in one place. His uncle, Essam Abu Shaban, his wife Layla Saqallah, and their son Ahmed were among the people who died. To stay safe from Israeli airstrikes, they had moved out of the nearby Tel El Hawa neighborhood and found shelter in Saqallah’s home, according to Abu Shaban.
Surviving family members told Hamouda that before the airstrikes, the IDF told them there might be military activity in the area. However, they were never instructed to leave their home.
“He said that they have destroyed houses both with and without giving people a warning. He feels upset and worried because there is a lot of fear and confusion among the people, and they have no safe place to go. ”
Hamouda says that his mother-in-law was on a balcony when the first attack happened. She managed to escape with the assistance of a family member who also made it out alive.
He said that the compound was destroyed again and many family members were killed.
A video, taken by family members who survived, and given to CNN, shows many dead bodies being put into a large grave covered in white cloth.
Hamouda said that his mother-in-law told him that his sons tried to leave quickly, but they didn’t have enough time. He also said that his family is not involved in any violent or dangerous activities and that they have no connection to anything.
Abu Shaban, a person who works in real estate in Boca Raton, said that his family were regular people who are not involved in any military or official roles, and some of them are medical workers.
Manal has four brothers named Saed, Omar, Ameed, and Khorsheed. Three of them are eye doctors, and the other one is an ENT doctor. Hamouda says they ran the biggest group of eye clinics owned by families in Gaza.
“We don’t have any members of Hamas in our family. ” They are normal people. Doctors, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and children,” Abu Shaban said.
“I think, if you want to get rid of Hamas, you should find the root cause. ”
The Maple Grove community has come together to show love and support to the Hamouda family.
Last week, people from the community went to the Brooklyn Park Islamic Center to pray for the family. A person who works for a Senator. The Minnesota office of Amy Klobuchar reached out to express sympathy and provide help, according to Hamouda.
But all Hamouda and Abu Shaban want is for the killing to end.
In today’s world, it’s unusual for everyone to witness innocent people being harmed. Families, complete families, were completely destroyed,” Abu Shaban said.
I want everyone to understand that the people of Gaza are just like everyone else. They feel pain, they bleed, they have families, and they have emotions.
He says that there are too many photos and videos of the conflict on social media, and they are overwhelming to see.
Activists, human rights groups, and international officials have asked for a stop to the fighting, but the war continues and has entered a new phase with risky ground operations.
Abu Shaban says that his family is still suffering until the killings come to an end. He feels like he is still trapped in a never-ending bad dream. I am still sleeping.