Palestinians seeking refuge in Europe from the Israel-Hamas conflict have mostly fled to Greece and Turkey, the two countries with the strongest ties to the Palestinian cuase. For one couple, it is a journey that has led to heartbreak.

İstanbul

Palestinians seeking refuge from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict have predominantly chosen Greece and Turkey as their destinations, given these countries' strong connections to the Palestinian cause. Among these refugees, the story of one particular couple highlights the severe challenges and emotional turmoil involved in such a journey. Their quest for safety and stability outside their homeland underscores the broader, harsh realities faced by individuals and families attempting to escape the violence and instability that have long characterized the region.



Escaping Gaza: One family's journey to Turkey

Aliyah and Mohamed Albasyouni were reunited with their son Hassan in Istanbul last February. They had been trapped in Gaza after the war broke out on October 7. Speaking about their ordeal is still painful. The people on the street dying, I cannot make anything. It was difficult to go out of the street, difficult to take water, difficult to take anything. Mohamed was the former chief of surgery at Gaza's biggest hospital, Al-Shifa, which became the focus of relentless Israeli attacks. No Shifa hospital, it was destroyed, there is no continuity, no surgery, all things is destroyed. The Albasyounis were forced to leave their home in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza and stayed in a clinic they used to run in Gaza City, where they also hosted dozens of other displaced people. There was no water and no gas. We burned our clinic's furniture to have something to cook on. My husband is sick, he needs medicine. Aliyah and Mohamed have been German citizens since 2011. Their oldest son, Loey, who is a space engineer in the U.S., got help from the Turkish authorities to evacuate them. Up until that point, he said he felt helpless. You know, I mean, since I mean, I sent the drone to Mars, you know, and I cannot even send water to my parents. While the human rights groups are demanding to know why the Israeli has not opened more crossings into Gaza, Palestinians who evacuated say the ones left behind have few means to survive. We are animals, we are not human body, we are animals, this is what the Israelis say. Despite having escaped the war, the Albasyounis say their thoughts and prayers are still with their fellow Palestinians in Gaza, who continue to suffer. Sinam Kersoulo, Al Jazeera, Istanbul.

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