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Diaranson, 18 October 2023 AWEMainta INTERNATIONAL 45

Palestinian-Americans in Gaza Face

Heart-Wrenching Choices Amid Conflict

AMID the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Palestinian-Americans cated by Israeli airstrikes in the region.
are grappling with incredibly difficult decisions. Jason The uncertainty surrounding exit options and the chal-
Shawa, one of an estimated 500-600 Palestinian-Americans lenging decisions facing these Palestinian-Americans under-

in Gaza, faces an unimaginable choice. The only one in his score the desperate and heartbreaking circumstances they
family with a U.S. passport, he can apply for visas for his find themselves in.
immediate family but would have to leave his extended rela-
tives behind. The situation is complicated by the uncertain

conditions at the crossing into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and
concerns for his children’s safety.

Abdulla Okal, residing in New Jersey, is anxiously watching

from afar as his wife and their three young U.S. citizen chil-
dren are stranded in Gaza. Haneen, his wife, aims to leave
with their daughters, leaving her parents and most siblings
behind. Nabil Alshurafa, an American medical researcher,

worries for his mother, Naela Elshorafa, who is now trapped
in Gaza, with her departure uncertain, potentially leaving
her brothers, sisters, and mother behind.

These Palestinian-Americans, like many others in Gaza,
have been seeking ways to leave but have received limited
support from U.S. Embassy officials. U.S. authorities have
been working to establish a humanitarian corridor for safe

evacuation from Gaza, but Egyptian authorities have not yet
opened the Rafah crossing. The situation is further compli-