'We are all together. I feel safe now': Irish-Palestinian families arrive in Dublin after fleeing Gaza

Dr Ibrahim Alagha hugs his mother Marwa at Dublin Airport this afternoon as he returns from Gaza. Picture: Conor Ó Mearáin/Collins Photos

There were tears of joy at Dublin Airport this afternoon as families greeted their loved ones who have safely been evacuated from Gaza.

Crowds chanted 'Free Palestine' as several families arrived at Terminal One from Cairo just after 2pm.

A number of Irish citizens were permitted to leave war-torn Gaza on Wednesday with the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Reema Abuowuda from Tallaght, south Dublin waited for four hours with her father and four siblings in Dublin airport today for their mother and one year old sister to arrive.

“Mum Misreen and my baby sister Sara, went to Gaza for a wedding, they went on October 1, and they arrived in Gaza the next day, then they are there since.

“It has been more than 40 days; it has been the most stressful time of our lives. My whole family is worried. My home in Gaza was bombed and we are so lucky it was empty, but my little sister is only one and a half. 

My grandparents are there, and I am sick with worry.”

When Mrs Abuowuda arrived at Dublin airport she was embraced by her whole family while cradling her baby daughter.

“It is genocide now in Gaza,” she said. “That is what is it. It is so devastating, I thought I would not get out safely. I am so safe now; we are all together. I feel safe now.”

Samy Alagha, the father of Ibrahim Alagha who helped up to 90 families in Gaza, said he was “delighted” his family are home.

Mr Alagha arrived with his wife and three children but left Dublin airport immediately to join a protest in Dublin City.

He spoke to the Irish Examiner on Friday about leaving Gaza on Wednesday saying he will “never be able to thank Ireland enough” for its support after his family got stuck in Gaza for 50 days.

In a video shared with the Irish Examiner, the siblings — Sami, 8, Eileen, 3, and Omar, 2 — can be seen rolling, playing, and laughing as they enjoy their freedom in Egypt.

His father Samy told the Irish Examiner at Dublin Airport he was “so nervous” while he waited for his family.

He said: “My son is home and his children; I am so happy. We are waiting all morning; we are very thankful to the Irish people and the media. You all did a magnificent job to help join our family together.

“It was a month of thinking, waiting and stress. It was very difficult. We are on a visit here, on a visit for three months. We visited our son in the US and then we came here, and the war broke out.”

He said that 50 members of his family have been killed in Gaza since October 7. But that he is grateful to be here and safe.

“My son is home now with his wife and children. We are so happy. I don’t know about the situation. We can’t go back at the moment, but we hope in the future we can go home again. This is the worst we have ever seen in Gaza.”

Tears of joy as families arrive home from Gaza to their loved ones. pic.twitter.com/SETV4aPdJ8

— Alison O’Reilly (@AlisonMaryORE) November 18, 2023

Saeed Sadeq, 21, who was studying computer engineering at the Islamic University of Gaza, ran into the arms of his mother who said: “My heart is beating so loudly.”

The student who lives in Co Mayo with his family said he “finally feels free” after he landed in Ireland.

“Finally, we are back,” he told the Irish Examiner.

I was waiting in Cairo for 72 hours; I thought I would never get home.

“I feel safe now, I am free now, I can sleep safely, eat well, and drink well and be with my family.

“I was studying in Gaza, I did my Leaving Cert two years ago and I decided to continue my studies, I went to Gaza before the war it was a beautiful, amazing city before the war it is bombed now.

“The university is now destroyed totally; my university is one of the biggest in the Middle East.”

Saeed was one of up to 28 people with Irish citizenship who left Gaza on Wednesday.

Ibrahim Alagha’s children are greeted by their grandfather as they arrive safely in Dublin airport from Gaza.

He continued: “It is awful I was late; I was afraid I wouldn’t make it out. I got out on Wednesday morning and the department of foreign affairs called me and told me to prepare myself.

“It was 7am the problem is there is no fuel, no cars, no taxis, so I had to ask for a lift, and I was late.

“I started leaving on Wednesday and I flew yesterday. We had 72 hours in Egypt we can’t stay longer now we are home.”

Speaking with the help of her family his mother Jihan told the Irish Examiner she was “devastated” at her son being caught up in a war.

“It is traumatising,” she said. “When I think about how traumatised I am I try to think about how traumatised he is.

“Waiting for him to contact us, I was so afraid, it is different this time (the war), we have family there, all our aunts, cousins, they are all there.

“We are scared to death to hear anything about sisters and brothers over there, it is terrifying, every call we get we are waiting to hear about a death.”

Home safe from Gaza. Very emotional scenes here at Dublin airport pic.twitter.com/9A8vsJ2rrc

— Alison O’Reilly (@AlisonMaryORE) November 18, 2023