‘My family faces death in Gaza’ – Palestinian in Cork begs for help
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A Palestinian man living in Cork is begging the Irish Government to help his family escape the horror in Gaza where they are living in tents with bombs raining down around them.
Habib Al Ostaz has listened to his severely weakened father plead for help for the family over the phone as bombs detonate nearby.
“Your family are about to die, to be killed, and you’re not able to help them,” Mr Al Ostaz said.
“The last call was so bad. I don’t know what I can do to save their lives.”
His family fled to the south at the start of the war where they lived with thousands of others in a UN school before that area was also attacked. They fled to a relative’s house but that was full so his parents, four brothers, and one sister are living in tents.
“There is bombing all the time, you hear it every few seconds. It doesn’t stop. Conditions there are very bad. I can’t even send them money because there’s no money in the banks, no post. The food is very bad.
“My mother is struggling with medicine, she has cancer, she needs to go to hospital but the hospital is not hosting her because they said they have to deal with more serious injuries.
“The hospital my mum used to go to was bombed.”
Mr Al Ostaz’s brother is also living in Cork. He has a work visa and applied for their family — their father, mother, four brothers, and one sister — to come to Ireland. Months later, they still have no answer.
“We had seven letters from the Minister for Justice saying that Ireland was aware of the situation in Gaza and they stand with them and they would see what they could do. But we still do not have permission for them to come.”
His solicitor, Susan Doyle, said the application was made in February but it is still being processed.
“We’ve sent in letters from people locally who have offered the family financial help, accommodation, support. Habib has gone to TDs and councillors and I’ve asked immigration services to expedite the decision.
“It's letting them down especially when the State is talking about supporting Gaza,” said Ms Doyle, who is running in the European elections for Ireland South for the Social Democrats.
“Sudanese and Gazans are most critical now. And if you have people here willing to support them financially there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be allowed in, at least until the bombardment ends.”
Mr Al Ostaz, 27, watched on media as his neighbourhood in north Gaza was bombed into obliteration.
He said he feels numb from the trauma of the war, with thoughts constantly running through his head about his family, wondering if they’re still safe and thinking about the people he knew there who have already been killed.
He had his asylum application turned down but appealed the decision. In January, his case with the Department of Justice was settled and it has gone back to the International Protection Office for a new first-instance decision but that decision has not been issued yet, Ms Doyle said.
Mr Al Ostaz said his asylum application was initially rejected because he had international protection in Greece where he first landed: “I had a really bad situation there. I lived there for two years in the jungle in a tent without any basic supplies. There were lots of problems. We had a lot of racism there and no rights.”
Mr Al Ostaz has been working in Izz Café in Cork and studying in UCC.
Donations can be made to a Cork City Marathon fundraiser for the Al Ostaz family online at https://www.idonate.ie/crowdfunder/CorkCityMarathonForPalestine