Ahmed and his nephews and nieces on a visit back home to Gaza in 2022. Image: Supplied
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As campaigners call on the government to implement a Ukraine-style family visa scheme for Palestinians affected by war, Ahmed shares his family’s story and why it is so vital the UK government steps up to reunite British residents with their families who face war in Gaza.
My family is trapped in Gaza. I never thought I would be asking for help to get them out because I believe people should stay as long as they can and resist everything that pushes them away from our homeland.
Our homes were partially and completely destroyed. My family is sheltering in an area flagged as green by the Israeli military. However, on 20 February, my cousin was killed in front of everyone: my parents, my siblings, and in front of his six-year-old son.
I was very close to my cousin. His son is named after me. I could not take it anymore. I set up a fundraiser to raise tens of thousands of pounds to get them out of Gaza and to Egypt through the Rafah crossing.
I have 15 members of family. The Egyptian company Hala, which facilitates people exiting Gaza, charges $5,000 for a person over the age of 16 and a $2,500 for a child. I resisted and sometimes even opposed this for a long time, but family is the most important thing in my life.
My dad needs an urgent hernia operation which cannot be done in Gaza. He has been suffering for more than seven months. I just wanted to do something. I don’t want anything to happen to my family and regret it all my life.
I face daily frustration, depression and mental health issues. I thought I am a strong person and I would never be affected by anything. But this is taking a serious toll. I feel helpless.
I speak to my family every two days. This is better than my friends who can only speak to their families every two, three, even four weeks. But I am able to speak to mine every two days to make sure they are OK, they’re still alive and nothing very bad happened to them.
For the average Gazan, every day is a struggle. It starts with queuing for the toilet in the morning. Then every day is a mission to find food. The price is 10 times higher with inflation because of the scarcity of food.
Ahmed (right) on his brother Mohammed’s wedding day in 2022. Image: Supplied
Kids don’t understand these things. They want to live their lives. My brother told me they have been looking for a Snickers bar for months for his kids and he can’t find any. These things like sweets and desserts, these things that we take for granted, they’re not there. There is no aspect of normal life.
And for babies who need nappies, that’s incredibly expensive. I have a brother and a sister. Both of them have newborn babies and they need nappies, but it’s a struggle. Their daily life is miserable. Every day is a mission to survive.
I lived almost 26 years of my life in Gaza. I came here in 2017. And since then, I have been living in the UK. I came to study my master’s at the University of Birmingham, and then I did a PhD at the University of Cambridge. Now I’m in Scotland. I work at the University of Dundee.
I moved to Scotland on 2 October to start my new job but since 7 October, my life has been awful. Life is messed up. I can’t really focus on anything in my life. I was hoping for a very good start for a new life or new things. Everything’s turned upside down.
Destruction of the family’s home in Gaza. Image: Supplied
Before this genocide – for me, I am calling it a genocide – people would ask me if I wanted to go back to Gaza and I would say no, because I want to stay here in this country. I want to be able to grow and develop myself to help my family back home.
Now, I want to go back cause it feels like it’s impossible to go back. Of course I’m not talking about this time, but I want to go back when this finishes. I want to go and try and help rebuild. I am an engineer. I have a good qualification.
Gaza was very beautiful, although it was under blockade and siege and you were not able to travel freely. Its people are beautiful. You go there and everyone welcomes you.
Everyone fights to have you at their place to feed you and to show you generosity. It was a beautiful place, despite the siege, the struggles, the blockade and the difficulties, people were very beautiful, and they were very nice. And now it’s all destroyed.
The UK government must do better to help Gaza and people who are residents in the UK to bring their family to safety.
Ahmed and some of his family on their visit to Gaza. Image: Supplied
This is what the government did, rightly so, for the Ukrainian residents here in this country. They introduced a family scheme for the people and they could bring their families here. But I don’t understand.
Although there is a lot of pressure being built up on the government to try to introduce a scheme, they are resisting so hard. I don’t understand why. Is it just because we are different people? I do not really understand it.
The idea is to rescue them to get them out of Gaza to Egypt. That’s the plan because it’s the only visible plan. If I managed to get them to Egypt, I would be working to bring them here to the UK and hopefully, if the situation calms down, I’ll be the first person to go back to try to rebuild and to do something.
I have a home. It’s not enough for 15 people but I’m sure I can manage it. There was a scheme where Ukrainian families were welcomed into British people’s homes or offered temporary accommodation. I want my family around me.
We are pushing our MPs to do something, and there is a petition calling for Palestinian Family Visa Scheme. It needs 100,000 signatures to be debated in parliament.
I have never been in a situation where I need something from people. It was such a difficult decision to start the fundraiser. So many people have set up fundraisers, and I know that many people who would usually donate have probably donated two or three times before. It is saturated.
I feel a bit privileged to do this. Something in me feels bad, because I know not everyone in Gaza can do this. All I can do is fundraise for my family. They are everything. If I lose my family, I will not be able to live this life.
Response from the Home Office to calls for a Ukraine-style family visa scheme for people trapped in Gaza
A spokesperson from the Home Office said: “We are working around the clock to get British Nationals who want to leave out of Gaza. We have a team on the ground in Cairo and at the Rafah crossing providing consular assistance.
“We currently have no plans to establish a separate route for Palestinians to come to the UK. However, any dependants of British citizens who need a visa can apply for one.”
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