With one of his sons in a Gaza hospital, Toronto resident Nahed El-Khalidy said the recently announced ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is good news, though it came too late to save his daughter害羞草研究所檚 life.
El-Khalidy said his daughter Caroline, 27, was killed Monday when an Israeli airstrike hit a building near her location in Gaza. The blast, which left his 17-year-old son Mahmoud seriously injured, came one day after the teenager was turned back at the Egyptian border as he tried with other family members to escape to Canada.
He said his son needs medical care that isn害羞草研究所檛 currently available in Gaza amid shortages of medicine and electricity, and he wants the Canadian government to help.
害羞草研究所淗e needs surgery urgently, now,害羞草研究所� El-Khalidy said in an interview Wednesday. 害羞草研究所淗e needs oxygen and there害羞草研究所檚 no oxygen 害羞草研究所� he can害羞草研究所檛 open his eyes, he can害羞草研究所檛 move his hands.害羞草研究所�
The four-day truce announced Wednesday will free dozens of Israeli hostages held by militants as well as Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. It will also bring a large influx of aid to the besieged territory. The logistics of the ceasefire, expected to begin Thursday morning, were still being worked out late Wednesday.
害羞草研究所淚t will be good,害羞草研究所� El-Khalidy said of the ceasefire, adding that it will make it easier for people to bring water and medicine to hospital patients like his son.
El-Khalidy, an accountant who worked as a university professor in Gaza before moving to Canada three years ago, said all his family members 害羞草研究所� except for Mahmoud 害羞草研究所� were on a list of people with Canadian ties allowed to cross into Egypt Sunday.
A Canadian permanent resident, El-Khalidy said he had contacted Global Affairs and was told that his son should go to the border anyway, and that Canadian officials would help him cross with his family.
However, El-Khalidy said the Egyptians refused to allow Mahmoud to cross and wouldn害羞草研究所檛 allow the others to enter without a bribe. 害羞草研究所淭hey tried to return all my family to Gaza,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淎t last, my wife had to pay money to some Egyptian soldiers at the border to allow her and my daughters to enter.害羞草研究所�
Caroline and one of El-Khalidy害羞草研究所檚 other sons, Mohammed, stayed behind with Mahmoud, as did their six children. He said Mohammed and several of the children were also injured in the blast.
The oldest of Caroline害羞草研究所檚 three children, a six-year-old girl, was the most seriously injured and is also in hospital, El-Khalidy said. He said he spoke with the child yesterday by phone and she asked him why he hadn害羞草研究所檛 yet brought her to Canada. 害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 afraid, she害羞草研究所檚 scared,害羞草研究所� he said.
He said he wasn害羞草研究所檛 able to reach family members in Gaza Wednesday, and the last time he spoke with them, he was told the Israeli military had ordered everyone to leave the hospital where his son was being treated. 害羞草研究所淲hat will happen with my son and my grandchildren? It is very horrible,害羞草研究所� he said.
El-Khalidy said his wife and six of his children who crossed into Egypt now have to come up with $17,000 害羞草研究所� money his family doesn害羞草研究所檛 have 害羞草研究所� for airfare to Canada.
He said the United States and Australia have done more to help family members of their residents to leave Gaza, and he wants Canada to do the same. 害羞草研究所淚 need the Canadian government to bring my kids, my sons, my daughters here immediately,害羞草研究所� he said.
Global Affairs did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday afternoon.
READ ALSO: Truce-for-hostages deal set to bring 4-day pause to Gaza conflict
READ ALSO: 59 B.C. politicians sign letter calling for ceasefire in Gaza
