Gaza War Leaves Palestinian Families and Couples Separated Across Borders
Palestinians displaced to Egypt endure emotional strain and financial hardship as their spouses and partners remain trapped in war-torn Gaza.
At a glance
- Many Palestinians evacuated to Egypt for medical treatment or safety remain separated from spouses and partners trapped in Gaza.
- Displaced families in Egypt face severe financial distress, isolation, and guilt while struggling to cover basic needs and schooling.
- Gaza's health ministry reports over 73,000 Palestinians killed and 174,000 injured since the war began in October 2023.
Palestinians who fled the Gaza Strip to Egypt in search of safety and medical treatment remain separated from spouses and loved ones trapped in the enclave years into the ongoing war, enduring immense emotional and financial hardship.
Among those coping with indefinite separation is Wijdan Abu Matar, a 43-year-old mother who evacuated to Egypt in November 2023 to seek medical care for her children. A month earlier, an Israeli airstrike hit near their residence in the Nuseirat refugee camp, injuring her entire family. Her teenage daughter, Nour, suffered a skull fracture and brain hemorrhage, while her five-year-old daughter sustained extensive burns. While Wijdan managed to reunite her eight children in an Egyptian apartment, her husband, Hatem, remains displaced in a tent in Nuseirat, unable to leave due to a debilitating leg injury.
Abu Matar, who has lost 35 relatives in the war, now struggles to support her household on donations alone. Hatem has been without a salary for nearly a year, and unstable telecommunications networks in Gaza make even phone calls scarce. In Egypt, high costs prevent five of her children from attending school, and she frequently lacks funds for Nour's ongoing medical prescriptions.
Enduring Distance and Survivor's Guilt
Similar strains affect couples separated by the violence. Sami Abu Tabaq, a 29-year-old photojournalist, departed Gaza for Egypt in April 2024 under pressure from his fiancee, Ola, amid threats of an Israeli offensive in Rafah. The couple, whose November 2023 wedding was derailed by the conflict, had intended to travel together, but Ola was unable to reach the southern border.
Living in Egypt, Abu Tabaq describes persistent isolation and guilt over having access to basic necessities while his fiancee endures deprivation in northern Gaza. Despite losing about 50 extended family members and seeing her home destroyed, Ola recently earned a nursing degree from the Islamic University of Gaza and is currently seeking foreign scholarships in hopes of securing an exit.
The human toll of the conflict continues to expand. Gaza's health ministry reports that at least 73,783 Palestinians have been killed and 174,738 injured since hostilities began following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, which killed 1,200 people. A United Nations inquiry previously concluded that Israel has committed genocide through deliberate attacks on Palestinian children.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- Why are some Palestinian families divided between Egypt and Gaza?
- Many individuals, including injured children, were evacuated to Egypt for medical care or safety, while their spouses and other relatives were unable to leave Gaza due to severe injuries, dangerous travel conditions, or border movement barriers.
- What hardships do separated Gazans face while living in Egypt?
- Evacuees in Egypt face acute isolation, survivor's guilt, and financial instability. Many rely on donations and cannot afford school transportation, proper housing, or necessary ongoing medication for injured family members.
