‘I have lost too many people...my heart is full of grief’ – Zak Hania reunited with family in Dublin after Rafah escape

Zak Hania had been trapped in Gaza since November after he was blocked from leaving by the Israeli Defence Forces, while his wife Batoul and their four Irish-born sons arrived in Dublin last November.

“We have been in hell for the last seven months with bombs and missiles raining day and night. The people of Gaza are so exhausted.

“Fifteen thousand kids have been killed, some just babies. I carried them in my hands. They are shattered into pieces. How is this allowed to happen? My heart is full of pain and grief,” he said.

Mr Hania was speaking at the arrivals hall in Dublin Airport, after arriving on a flight from Cairo, Egypt, where he successfully crossed from Rafah early on Monday morning.

“I have lost too many people from my family, my cousins, my friends and my neighbours. The world is letting this continue and nobody is able to stop those gangsters, those criminals,” he said.

Israel denies it is committing war crimes in Gaza but is being investigated by the International Criminal Court.

Tears of joy and relief flooded the faces of his wife and four sons, Nourmohammed, Ahmed, Mazen, and Ismael, who for the last seven months campaigned tirelessly in order to get their father to Egypt.

The picture perfect moment would never have materialised if Batoul hadn’t raised €5,000 and secured a deal with Egyptian travel agency Ya Hala that arranges for relatives to exit the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing.

“I was speaking so much to the Department of Foreign Affairs to help me, but it didn’t work out unfortunately. I had to fly to Egypt and pay lots of money to the travel agency.

“It takes about a month until the waiting list goes through. The last three weeks were the most anxious, I couldn’t stop thinking ‘what if something happens to him after all this effort’,” she said.

Ms Hania described her own evacuation along with her four sons last November as like “going through hell”, having to escape bombardments while running around soldiers.

“My son still has bad dreams from what we had to go through. It has been six months of sickness, anxiety and physical tiredness, making every effort to get Zak out,” she said.

Mr Hania said being away from his wife and children was “indescribable” but he is “so happy to see them” and his dear friends now and thanked the Irish people, who he said “I love with all my heart”.

“I am happy that I am alive. I have lost loved ones and that makes me sad and I don’t know really exactly how to feel. I am not feeling in a normal state of emotion or mind.

“Israel has taken off their mask and are showing their real face. We are, as human beings, showing our true humanity and our determination to stop this crime. We need to stop this genocide,” he added.

Israel denies it is committing genocide but is being investigated for alleged war crimes.