Hazem Helme Abuanza fears for the safety of his parents in Gaza, who were forced to flee after heavy Israeli bombardment. Photo: Hazem Helme Abuanza
Hazem Helme Abuanza fears for the safety of his parents in Gaza, who were forced to flee after heavy Israeli bombardment. Photo: Hazem Helme Abuanza
Hazem Helme Abuanza fears for the safety of his parents in Gaza, who were forced to flee after heavy Israeli bombardment. Photo: Hazem Helme Abuanza
Hazem Helme Abuanza fears for the safety of his parents in Gaza, who were forced to flee after heavy Israeli bombardment. Photo: Hazem Helme Abuanza

Dubai resident issues plea for peace after four cousins killed in Israel-Gaza war


Liza Ayach
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

A Dubai resident grieving the deaths of four of his cousins in the early days of the Israel-Gaza war has issued a plea for peace.

Hazem Helme Abuanza, 34, said two of his relatives died on the first day of the conflict, with the other family members killed only two days later.

He said he was gripped with fear over the well-being of his parents, who were forced to flee their home in Gaza over heavy Israeli bombardment.

“My parents and relatives reside in the south-east of Gaza, near Rafah and Khan Younis," said Mr Abuanza, who works as a journalist at the Arabic Al Khaleej newspaper. "Due to the proximity to border bombings, my parents fled to the safer centre of Khan Younis on October 9.

"Tragically, on the first day of the war, two of my cousins lost their lives. Two days later, two other cousins died, leaving behind five children each.

"The night of October 24 inflicted immense hardship on my parents," he added. "They were told that the newly constructed apartment, as well as mine, both situated in a two-storey building, were hit by bombardment, resulting in partial damage and imminent risk of collapse, along with nearly 50 houses that were either fully or partially destroyed."

He told of the hugely challenging conditions they face in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza, which has doubled in population in a matter of days due to the arrival of refugees from the north.

“Khan Younis, originally home to about 300,000 people, has now doubled to 600,000 due to the influx of displaced civilians.

"Due to the overwhelming crowd and lack of hygiene in crowded UNRWA [The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] schools, I rented a house for my parents in Khan Younis."

He called for a halt to the escalating violence as the death toll in Gaza climbed above 6,500, with hundreds of thousands more displaced and vital supplies of fuel, food and water rapidly running out.

"While people can endure hunger and thirst, the prevailing fear within homes, uncertain of when they might be bombarded, is overwhelming," he said.

"My primary concern revolves around my parents, living in constant apprehension.

"In this dire situation, what is truly needed is not just humanitarian aid but an immediate cessation of the war.”

'World must take notice'

Nadeen Awwad said the world must stand up and take notice of the challenges faced by Palestinians. Photo: Nadeen Awwad
Nadeen Awwad said the world must stand up and take notice of the challenges faced by Palestinians. Photo: Nadeen Awwad

Nadeen Awwad, a Palestinian-American who lives in Abu Dhabi, said her loved ones caught up in the conflict are safe but reeling from the emotional anguish of the conflict.

“I have first and second cousins living in Taybeh [in the occupied West Bank]," said Ms Awwad, an engineer at Adnoc. "My village is very small. Most of the people work in Ramallah.

"My cousins are physically safe but they are barely coping emotionally and mentally.

“Ever since the war in Gaza, the situation in the West Bank has been a lot more hostile.

"There have been several cases where the roads were either closed or they will have to risk driving knowing that they are going to be passing by settlements.

"You may have some settlers go rogue and start shooting Palestinians on the roads.”

Ms Awwad called for more awareness of the plight facing Palestinians in a city under siege.

"I believe that the world doesn't realise how small Gaza is," she said. "I think that this perspective needs to be communicated a lot more in terms of how Gaza compares to London, or to the size of Dubai or the size of other major cities so people can understand that you are not talking about a major piece of land.

Israel-Gaza war - in pictures

"If you are on one end of the Gaza Strip, you can hear the planes or the bombings on the other side."

Evacuation orders from Israel and the looming threat of a ground invasion have prompted huge numbers of people to leave their homes and seek refuge in other parts of Gaza.

“I think people need to be aware that Gaza is already an open-air prison," Ms Awwad said. "It's already one of the most densely populated areas in the world and you're asking people to cramp in half the space of what is already crowded and where there are no places [to live].”

In her efforts to bring solace, Ms Awwad follows Gazans recording the war on social media and closely monitors their needs.

“To support the people of Palestine, I follow Gazans documenting the war closely on social media," she said. "As Palestinians outside of Palestine, witnessing the horrific massacres is emotionally draining, leaving us feeling helpless and unable to provide direct assistance.”

How to help

Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.

Account name: Dar Al Ber Society

Account Number: 11 530 734

IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734

Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae

Forced%20Deportations
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Violence%20
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3.35pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner: Al Mukhtar Star, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

4.10pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.

4.45pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Speedy Move, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar.

5.20pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Moqarrar, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy.

5.55pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Dolman, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

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5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

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Stage 7:

1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29

2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time

3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious

4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep

5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM

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1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35

3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02

4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42

5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nag%20Ashwin%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPrabhas%2C%20Saswata%20Chatterjee%2C%20Deepika%20Padukone%2C%20Amitabh%20Bachchan%2C%20Shobhana%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%E2%98%85%E2%98%85%E2%98%85%E2%98%85%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
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  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO

Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)

Delhi won the match by 11 runs

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Emirates Cricket Board Women’s T10

ECB Hawks v ECB Falcons

Monday, April 6, 7.30pm, Sharjah Cricket Stadium

The match will be broadcast live on the My Sports Eye Facebook page

 

Hawks

Coach: Chaitrali Kalgutkar

Squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Archara Supriya, Chamani Senevirathne, Chathurika Anand, Geethika Jyothis, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kashish Loungani, Khushi Sharma, Khushi Tanwar, Rinitha Rajith, Siddhi Pagarani, Siya Gokhale, Subha Srinivasan, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish

 

Falcons

Coach: Najeeb Amar

Squad: Kavisha Kumari (captain), Almaseera Jahangir, Annika Shivpuri, Archisha Mukherjee, Judit Cleetus, Ishani Senavirathne, Lavanya Keny, Mahika Gaur, Malavika Unnithan, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Shashini Kaluarachchi, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh

 

 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Fixtures
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Updated: October 26, 2023, 3:00 AM`