Medway family escapes from Gaza
A Medway family trapped in Gaza for about a month managed to depart the war zone yesterday through a border crossing with Egypt, a family attorney said, ending what they have described as a harrowing experience.
Attorney Sammy Nabulsi said Abood Okal, Wafaa Abuzayda, and their oneyear-old son Yousef Okal, departed Gaza through the Rafah Crossing shortly after 5:30 a.m. local time and are in the process of being transported to Cairo by United States Consular Affairs.
“The Okal family is overwhelmed with the love and support they have received from home and abroad, but they are also exhausted, physically and emotionally drained, and have a long journey ahead of them back to the United States,” Nabulsi said in a statement.
The family was in Gaza for a two-week trip to visit Abuzayda’s parents when Hamas stormed into Israel and killed civilians in a terrorist attack that has since triggered an overwhelming military response from Israel, including relentless airstrikes and a ground invasion.
Okal, Abuzayda, and their son were sheltering in Southern Gaza, where Israeli officials declared “safe zones” and told residents to evacuate in advance of a ground assault.
But in repeated messages to Nabulsi shared with the media, Okal said airstrikes were hitting areas only hundreds of feet away from where they were sheltering.
It is not clear when the family will make it back to Medway but Nabulsi said they are asking for “privacy until they safely return to their home,” the immediate and safe departure of the remaining U.S. citizens in Gaza, and “compassion and prayers for the innocent civilians in Gaza who gave them shelter.”
“The Okal family expresses its deepest gratitude to their family and friends around the world, the Medway community, the media for sharing their plight and the plight of the hundreds of other Americans trapped in Gaza, their elected officials who fought hard for their return, and the State Department for providing them with safe departure,” the family said in a statement.
U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey said they were “relieved” the family started their journey home.
Materials from the Associated Press were used in this report.