‘I cannot carry all of this alone’: the couples kept apart by the war in Gaza

Forcible displacement means civilians are driven from their homes by violence, destruction, or threats, rather than leaving freely. It matters because displacement can split families, interrupt medical care, destroy livelihoods, and make return uncertain. People may reach safety but remain separated from loved ones and ordinary life.

Wijdan and her eight children lived in Nuseirat refugee camp when an Israeli strike hit the al-Muhandseen tower on 17 October 2023. Everyone was injured. Wijdan later travelled to Egypt with Nour for treatment, while her husband Hatem remained in Gaza. Sami and his family fled Tal al-Zaatar after their home was badly damaged and later destroyed. He accompanied his sister south but could not reach Ola before leaving.

The families’ displacement continued beyond the first flight. Wijdan’s children eventually reunited in Egypt, but Hatem remains in Gaza. Sami remains separated from Ola, whose home was also threatened by bombardment. Their stories show that leaving danger does not end the effects of war.

Wijdan and Hatem cannot live together because Wijdan took their injured children to Egypt for medical treatment, while Hatem stayed in Gaza after suffering a serious leg injury. Their separation has lasted years. Hatem is displaced in a tent in Nuseirat, and poor internet makes even calls difficult. Sami and Ola are separated because Sami fled fighting with his family and later left Gaza, while Ola remained there with her family.

The war also destroyed the places where these couples expected to build their lives. Wijdan’s family was scattered among hospitals before reuniting in Egypt. Sami and Ola’s planned home was destroyed, along with Sami’s family home. At times, Sami did not know whether Ola was alive and had to ask his brother to check.

Their separation continues because movement, safety, communication, and treatment remain difficult. Wijdan worries constantly about Hatem. Sami describes loneliness and waits for a future reunion, but the article gives no date or reliable route for either couple to reunite.

The article presents the Gaza war as a mass-casualty crisis, not only a series of individual family tragedies. It states that Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel killed 1,200 people. It then cites Gaza’s health ministry, which reports at least 73,783 Palestinians killed and 174,738 wounded. These figures show the scale of death and injury described in the article.

The personal examples make those numbers concrete. Wijdan and all eight children were injured in one strike. Nour suffered a fractured skull and bleeding in the brain, while Amna suffered severe burns. Wijdan also says she has lost 35 family members. Four journalists who shared Sami’s tent were later killed, including Hamza al-Dahdouh.

The toll includes continuing hardship after injury or death. Hatem cannot work because of his leg injury, and Wijdan struggles to pay for Nour’s medicine. The article also cites an independent UN inquiry that found Israel continues to commit genocide by deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza.

When war separates partners and caregivers, families lose practical help as well as emotional support. One person may have to manage children, medical care, money, schooling, and decisions alone. Years of uncertainty can produce exhaustion and fear. Children may also lose access to education, treatment, stable housing, or both parents’ care.

Wijdan’s experience shows this clearly. She brought her children together in Egypt, but Hatem remains in Gaza with a serious leg injury and no salary. She says she has become both mother and father. She cannot regularly afford Nour’s medication or transport for five children to attend school. Hatem’s injury prevents him from working, while Wijdan relies on donations.

The consequences continue even when relatives are alive and reachable. Unreliable internet limits contact, and Wijdan sees tears in Hatem’s eyes during calls. She is psychologically exhausted and fears returning to Gaza with the children. Without treatment, income, schooling, or reunion, the family’s future remains uncertain.

Whether civilians can leave Gaza, cross through Rafah, obtain medical treatment, or reunite with relatives depends on decisions by authorities controlling movement, border crossings, security conditions, and medical entry arrangements. In general, Israel and Egypt have major roles in Gaza’s access and crossings, while other authorities and medical institutions may influence permissions and transfers. The article itself does not provide a complete account of which authority made each decision.

Wijdan travelled with Nour to an Egyptian hospital on 30 November 2023. The family had first been separated among hospitals, and months passed before Wijdan brought the children together in Egypt. Hatem, however, remained in Gaza because of his injury and displacement. Sami also left Gaza, but Ola stayed behind.

These cases show that family reunion is not simply a personal choice. It requires a safe route, permission or access across borders, medical acceptance, money, and functioning communication. Because the article does not describe the detailed procedures or decisions, it cannot establish exactly who blocked or enabled each movement.

Phone calls, internet access, money, and relatives can help people share news or arrange support, but they cannot remove the physical and political barriers created by war. Networks may fail, roads may be unsafe, borders may be closed or restricted, hospitals may lack capacity, and families may lack enough money for transport or medicine. Communication can offer comfort without making reunion possible.

Wijdan says Gaza’s unreliable internet makes speaking to Hatem difficult. When he gets online, he calls from a tent in Nuseirat, but the calls do not bring him to Egypt or provide the treatment he needs. Wijdan also cannot afford transportation for five children to attend school or Nour’s medication. Sami once went days, sometimes weeks, without knowing whether Ola was alive.

These examples show the limits of personal resources during war. A brother could check on Ola, and relatives helped the family stay in Egypt, but neither solved the separation. Until safe movement, medical access, reliable communications, and sufficient income exist, families remain vulnerable.

International humanitarian law is the set of rules that applies during armed conflict. Its purpose is to reduce suffering by protecting civilians and other people not taking part in fighting, including the wounded, medical patients, and medical personnel. It also requires parties to distinguish military targets from civilians and to take precautions. Journalists may receive protection when they are not participating in hostilities. These are general legal principles; the article does not explain them in detail.

The article describes situations the rules are meant to address. Wijdan and her children were injured in a strike, Nour needed intensive care, and Amna suffered severe burns. Medical treatment became difficult, while four journalists sharing Sami’s tent were later killed. The article also reports an independent UN inquiry’s finding that Israel continues to commit genocide by deliberately targeting Palestinian children.

The law is intended to preserve civilian protection even during war. Its practical value depends on compliance, investigation, and accountability. The article shows the consequences when families, patients, and journalists remain exposed, but it does not report legal findings about each individual incident.