An Irish family who was visiting relatives in Palestine when Israel began its retaliatory strikes against Hamas are trapped in war-torn Gaza and believe their chances of escaping are "decreasing every day".
Ibrahim Alagha, and his wife Hamida, who are both Irish citizens and their three Irish-born children traveled to Gaza in June for an extended holiday to visit relatives and were still there when fighting broke out following the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7.
Ibrahim told the Irish Independent that he is regularly starving himself so that his children can eat as food and water supplies in Gaza run "dangerously low".
He told the publication that he remains in regular contact with the Irish Embassy in Israel, stating that the embassy faces "growing" problems in helping up to 40 Irish citizens evacuate Gaza.
"The embassy are trying to get Irish passport holders out, but it has been difficult for them. I speak to them twice a day, but there is no plan," Ibrahim told the Independent.
He said he is worried by the deterioration of phone coverage in Gaza, stating that it is becoming far less reliable since Israel launched the first retaliatory strikes against Hamas. He added that he is worried that he will be "cut off entirely from the outside world" in the near future.
"Then I have no way of contacting the Irish embassy about plans to safely evacuate us," Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim told the Independent that he is also concerned by the lack of fuel in Gaza and said he fears his family will not have enough fuel to make it to the border if they receive an opportunity to leave Gaza.
The family is staying at Ibrahim's father's four-bedroom home with around 90 others.
"It is a very, very difficult situation at the moment and just getting worse, particularly because of the lack of food and water."
Ibrahim told BBC News that the house was shaking after "constant bombing" following the start of the Israeli strikes.
"From the time we wake up to the time we sleep, we're just trying to survive," he told BBC News, adding that the family is sleeping in shifts and has removed windows from the house to prevent the glass from injuring people during a potential drone strike.
Palestinian-Irish citizen Ibrahim Alagha recorded a video this morning showing the situation on the streets of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Fuel stations are closed in the area and large queues have formed at bakeries | https://t.co/40ysCsAgBz pic.twitter.com/cciWomPERH
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) October 21, 2023
Ibrahim and his wife grew up in Gaza and have some experience of airstrikes, but he told the Independent that his three children, who are 8, 4, and 3, were born and raised in Ireland and have no such experience.
He said is eight-year-old son Sami is "very scared" because he is aware of what is going on.
Sami told Sky News that he is desperate to get home to Ireland.
"My life is in danger and I want to go back to Dublin," Sami told Sky News, adding that he is "hearing a lot of rockets and bombs coming from everywhere.
"It's very scary and I can't sleep very well."
Ibrahim became an Irish citizen 15 years ago but has only returned to Palestine four times since because it is so "difficult" to return.
"That is because it is so difficult to get in and out of Gaza, even though myself and my wife are from here."
He explained that he returns with his family for extended visits because the trips are so infrequent.
Ibrahim said the family is desperate to bring his in-laws with them when they leave Gaza, stating that the elderly couple's home has been destroyed in the Israeli strikes. He said his in-laws are also dependent on him financially.
"We want and need to bring them with us. They would not be any drain on the Irish State — I would financially support them in Ireland, too, and they would live with us. It is not safe for them here and now their home is gone."
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that the Irish government will work closely with the EU to organize evacuations if necessary.
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