Montrealer’s family members killed in Gaza, unable to reach others

Hala is just one of the cousins Montrealer Dalya Shaath is waiting to hear from in Gaza.

“I cannot reach her,” Shaath said through tears.

She says her family in Gaza is suffering, with three of her cousins, Ibrahim, Abduallah and Haitham in Khan Younis being killed in Israel’s airstrikes in the last week.

“Three boys: 19, 20, 21,” she said. “They didnt have any notice they were going to bomb.”

Since Hamas launched attacks that killed 1,400 people in Israel on Oct. 7, over 2,800 Palestinians have been killed in retaliation, a quarter of them children. Around 1,000 people remain missing, believed to be under the rubble of buildings targeted by airstrikes.

 “It’s 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza,” said Shaath. “They’re being collectively punished and that also includes my family.”

Civilians have been fleeing northern Gaza, after Israel warned they should evacuate south.

“When my family saw that everyone in their area was going down and running, my family took a decision that maybe they have to go because it’s dangerous,” said Shaat.

Her aunt sent her a message telling her they were going to leave.

“I have no idea where are they now,” she said. “I just received a message on Saturday, she texted me, they are in the Al-Zawaid area, but I don’t know anything about the rest of the family.”

Dalya visited Gaza back in January.

Today, it’s a place without electricity, pushing essential services like healthcare, water and food supply to their limits.

“When I was there, I was terrified,” she said. “So, now when I was seeing what is happening on TV, I cannot imagine it, I cannot sleep.

“I feel guilty if I drink water, if I eat, and I feel guilty that also as Canadian-Palestinians, we are not able to push our government to ask to stop the war.”

Shahaat is planning to return to Gaza and volunteer when the war is over.

“However, to do this we do need security,” she said, calling on Canada to help ensure safer borders to enter Gaza.

Until then, she waits to hear back from her family, as she advocates for their safety.

“I’m a humanitarian, I’m a Palestinian from Gaza and our job is to be socially responsible individuals who want humanity.”