Massachusetts Family Remains Stuck in Gaza: ‘It’s Getting a Lot More Dangerous by the Day’

A family from Massachusetts is still stuck in Gaza after the parents were approved to cross into Egypt, but their three children were left off the list.

Hazem Shafai, his wife and three children have attempted to cross the border five times, Hani Shafai, Hazem's brother, told local Boston station WCVB.

"It's getting a lot more dangerous by the day, and the supplies are very limited, and the aid coming across the border is extremely limited compared to the needs that exist," Hani said. "So you will see a lot of tension among the people trying to feed their families and get water and food from any available resources."

He told the Boston Globe that the family had trouble getting clean drinking water and several of them were sick with the flu last weekend.

Hani said the situation is in "dire need of a resolution" so Hazem and his family can cross the border.

“Nobody is going to just leave a 2-year-old, a 10-year-old and a 13-year-old behind,” Hani told the Globe. “These kids were born in the U.S., they’re citizens just like everyone else, to say ‘leave them behind’ is just inhumane.”

The Gaza region became consumed by conflict after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Israel declared war the following day.

Some Palestinians and foreign nationals were able to leave Gaza after Egypt partially opened the Rafah crossing on Wednesday. The decision to open the border was a Qatar-brokered deal between Israel, Hamas and Egypt in coordination with the U.S.

Hesham Kaoud, a Palestinian-American from Texas, was one of the citizens who made it safely to Egypt on Saturday.

The Rafah crossing is the only Gazan border crossing that is not controlled by Israel. Crossings controlled by Israel were closed following the Oct. 7 attack.