A Cambridge couple is fighting to get their relatives out of harm's way in Gaza as the Israel-Hamas war rages on.
Rama Hassouna and her husband Rami Aljadba have been living in Canada for over a decade after leaving Gaza City for a better life.
"I've been through three wars myself, but we never had to evacuate the way my family is now. It's totally different," said Hassouna, who is now appealing to the community for financial support to fund her family's trip to Canada.
After fleeing the war in Gaza City in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack, nine of Hassouna's relatives, including her parents, made their way south toward Egypt but remain in the danger zone as Israeli airstrikes continue.
"Their entire lives are destroyed and they cannot return to where they once lived," she added. "They evacuated to one shelter then had to leave again due to the bombs falling on their camp."
In addition to her parents, Hassouna is hoping to bring her two young brothers, her sister and husband and their three kids to Canada, but the process, Aljadba said, is daunting and the wait for news has been excruciating.
"They will stay with us until they can find other accommodation and find jobs to support themselves," Hassouna said. "We just want to see them and get them out before it is too late."
Late last month, the Cambridge couple made an appeal on GoFundMe page asking for donations to help with the process.
Aljadba said there are stark differences between the rescue and reunification efforts of the Canadian government of the Palestinian people versus Ukrainian or other refugees.
"There is around a 1,000 person cap for Palestinians coming to Canada. I've never seen such a low cap in my life," he said. "I've been in Canada for a long time, paid taxes a long time and it just sucks to know that we are not treated the same as other people."
To get their family over they have to apply to the Canadian government for a placement code. Then, if they are lucky enough to get that code, they have to start what he said is a long, expensive and difficult process of filling out the application.
"We have to try and get information from our family members who are in a war zone so it is not easy," Aljadba said. "We then have to compete with other Palestinians to be one of the 1,000."
Hassouna said the entire ordeal has left her and her husband feeling like second class citizens competing in a "hunger games style process" to see if they can save their family members.
The stress the of not knowing is another thing the Cambridge couple is struggling with.
"We don't know when will be the last time we talk to our family members. We don't go out, we don't socialize it has all become to much and we feel like we are on the verge of mental collapse," Aljadba said.
Hassouna and Aljadba have two daughters and are also facing the reality of never being able to go back to their homeland to introduce their children to Gaza.
"My school, the shops even the farm just doesn't exist anymore. It's all gone," Aljadba said. "My kids will never know the place I grew up, because it is now under rubble or blown up beyond recognition."
