Palestinian family in Cambridge worried about safety of family in Gaza

Aastha Shetty · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 22, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Rami Aljadba from Cambridge, Ont. remembers feeling sick to his tummy with dread erstwhile helium archetypal heard astir the airstrikes that pounded Gaza connected Tuesday.

It was 1 of the deadliest days of the 17-month-old struggle and it was followed by much airstrikes later successful the week.

"None of america are OK," helium said. "The magnitude of unit that was used in 1 hour. The pictures of the kids, women and men nether the rubble [during] the beatified period of Ramadan erstwhile when radical were astir to commencement their accelerated for for the time — I can't adjacent find words to picture however sickening that was for me."

Palestinian wellness authorities said Israel's decision to abruptly extremity a two-month ceasefire with Hamas killed more than 400 radical connected Tuesday alone. At slightest different 91 radical were killed crossed Gaza connected Thursday aft Israel resumed bombing and crushed operations, said Palestinian wellness authorities.

Israel says 59 hostages are inactive being held successful Gaza, with 24 of them believed to beryllium alive.

Aljadba is worried. His uncles, cousins and in-laws are each inactive successful Gaza.

"The streets are filled again with people sleeping nether the rubble ... things are drying up and immoderate is near is precise expensive. So the situation is dire," helium said.

"I can't adjacent comprehend however you tin even live done this."

'Hoping they tin beryllium live for different day'

Aljadba was capable to bring immoderate of his household members to information successful the summertime of 2024 aft a costly process that began implicit a twelvemonth agone erstwhile they archetypal fled Gaza.

It hasn't been casual for them and they perpetually retrieve the homes, belongings and radical they near behind.

"They're still truthful attached — the young kids, each they deliberation astir is once the warfare is over, 'We privation to go backmost to our friends oregon our school' ... They inactive speech astir their toys," helium said. "They person fond memories of [Gaza]."

WATCH | In 1 night, helium mislaid astatine slightest 2 twelve household members:

Aljadba says immoderate of the houses his household lived successful are present destroyed on with everything successful them that made it consciousness similar home. The household that is present successful Waterloo portion is perpetually disquieted astir the aboriginal of the household that is inactive successful Gaza.

It's making them bespeak connected the worth of household this Ramadan.

"Ramadan has ever been a clip of connecting with God and besides connecting with your friends, with your family, gathering implicit a meal. It doesn't consciousness the aforesaid anymore," Aljadba said.

"You consciousness blameworthy [because] you person entree to food... I won't consciousness bully buying caller apparel and caller toys for my kids [on Eid] while their 2nd cousins in Gaza are conscionable hoping they tin beryllium live for different day."

LISTEN | Palestinians successful Waterloo portion are disquieted for household successful Gaza: