A Palestinian doctor based in Belfast, Omar, has opened up about the unimaginable pain of losing over 80 family members in Gaza due to Israeli airstrikes.

Nine of Omar's family members, including his wife's mother, brother, uncle, and other close relatives, were killed in the most recent incident, which involved an airstrike on a tent camp in Khan Younis. The loss has left Omar and his wife devastated and struggling to comprehend the scale of their grief.

Omar talked about how he is always terrified for his family's safety. After being relocated to supposedly "safe zones," displaced Palestinians frequently discover that these regions have been attacked, keeping them in a state of perpetual insecurity, he stated.

The couple has appealed to both the Irish and British governments for help in evacuating their surviving family members, but they have encountered significant bureaucratic hurdles. These obstacles include stringent visa requirements and closed borders, leading Omar to criticize the disparity in treatment when compared to the relatively easier access granted to Ukrainian refugees seeking refuge in Ireland.

Omar's voice trembled with grief as he described the situation as catastrophic. He emphasised the urgent necessity for international cooperation in this catastrophic situation and asked for immediate international engagement to help evacuate those who are still stranded in Gaza.