Hamilton residents with family in Gaza say they're desperate to help them as airstrikes continue

The last two weeks have felt like years for Hamilton resident Riham Alsharif, whose family in Gaza isstranded with no clean water and dwindling food as airstrikes continue.

Alsharif, who arrived in Hamilton as a refugee in 2016 and is now a Canadian citizen, said her mother, father, aunt, sister and cousin and their combined seven children all under the age of 10 fled Gaza City's Rimal neighbourhood, walking 15 kilometres south to NuseiratCampin search of safety.

As of last week, they weresheltering in an unfinished building that shakes every time an airstrike hits the area, Alsharif told CBC Hamilton. The children were screaming and crying and her father and mother werewithout their heart and blood pressure medications.

"I'm not sleeping, all day, all night, I'm trying to reach them," said Alshariflast week, crying. "I feel so bad when I eat anything and my mom and dad are not eating anything. It's a nightmare right now."

Like many Canadians with loved ones in Gaza, she's desperate to help her family, emailing churches and elected officials to see if someone can help get them out of Gaza, either to Egypt or Canada.

"There's no life over there, " she said. "I just want to try to keep them safe."

'We have nothing'

Israeli airstrikes have pounded Gaza since Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killingIsraeli civilians andtakingabout 200 hostages into Gaza.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, according to the Israeli government.

More than4,137 Palestinians have been killed,Palestinian officials say.

Israeli officials have said they'll continue the attack in Gaza until the hostages are released. Hamas has continued to fire rockets into Israel.

Alsharif's father, Mohammed, a 70-year-old veterinarian, told CBC Hamilton in a phone interview last week that everything around them appears to be destroyed, as far as they can see. He and his family dread each "terrible, terrible" night sleeping on the sandy earth.Without power, they lay in darkness as they hear bombs pummel Gaza.

Food is also running out. His wife waited for hours in line to buy bread atthe only store open in the area, Mohammed said in a phone interview. They eat once a day.

"We have nothing," he said. "We want safety. We want a normal life."

430 peopleseeking Canada's help to leave Gaza

Aid workers havewarned Gaza is near complete collapse with decreasing water and medicine supplies and power running out at hospitals.

On Sunday, a convoy of aid trucks entered the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, heading towardthe Gaza Strip, according to Egyptian security and humanitarian sources at Rafah. It was thesecond humanitarian aid shipment allowed to cross into the territory sinceIsrael cut supplies to Gaza as part of its response to the Hamas attacks.

Canadian Foreign Affairs MinisterMlanie Joly and Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen said in a joint statement Sunday the news of the convoy was welcomed but theaid is "a small fraction of what is needed."

'People are starving to death in Gaza,' director of World Food Program says

12 months ago

Duration 7:15

As the second convoy of aid trucks heads into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Program, says it's not enough. 'We need sustained safe passage for our trucks and other trucks.... People are starving to death.'

On Saturday, Joly said in a statement the Canadian government had helped "nearly 1,600Canadians, permanent residents and eligible family members as well as foreign nationals leave Israel."

They are also working "around the clock to secure a window for Canadians to exit Gaza," looking at "windows for possible exit at the Rafah border crossing."

Julie Sunday, assistant deputy ministerat Global Affairs Canada, told reporters430 people with ties to Canada are seeking help to leave Gaza.

Hamilton resident fears for parents

Hamilton resident Rani Hemaid isexperiencing overwhelming worry for his family in Gaza City. Their neighbourhood was heavily bombed and they tried to escape, he said.

His sister-in-law and five children made it to the south, but as of last week, his parents and grandfather remained stuck in the north, running out of food and water, Hemaid said.

"It's not safe to move, the bombing is everywhere," he said.

His family has been impacted by the wars between Palestinians and Israelis for generations. His grandfather was a child during war in 1948 and was among a large number of Palestinians who fled or were forced out of the area now known as Israel. He never returned to his village, Hamaid said.

During the 2014 Gaza War, Hamaid's brother's house was destroyed. The family built a new home together, but it was totalledduring the recentairstrikes, Hamaid said.

Hamaid came to Canada as a refugee in 2016, carrying trauma from past conflicts and looking to build a life without the expectation another war was on the horizon. But now, he said he feels frozen, unable to move forward knowing his family is in danger.

He's looking to not only help them find safety, but also for world leaders to end the conflict.

"Civilians are being killed everywhere and the solution is not dropping more bombs," Hamaid said. "It's immediate ceasefire and peace talks."

Palestinian, Jewishcommunities hold solidarityevents

Residents with family or friendsinboth Gazaand Israel have come together at separate solidarity events heldin Hamilton overthe past two weeks.

On Oct. 10, theHamilton Jewish Federation (HJF)hosted a gatheringat the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH) to "mourn, pray, show our support for Israelisand share the truth about these heinous actions."

GustavoRymberg, CEO of HJF,told CBC Hamilton hehasfriends in Israelwho lost family members and friends because they were "shot in the street" on Oct. 7.

Rymbergtold the room at the AGH that night that "heart-wrenching stories seem unceasing. Israel has faced trials before, but this time, it is different."

The Palestinian community and its supporters came together days later.

Last Sunday, a rally was held outside of City Hall, followed by a march through downtown, where demonstrators chanted, "Free, free Palestine."

Nahed Killisly was at the rally with her husband Rami and son Tamer.

A Palestinian refugee living in Canada for 36years, Killisly said she joined the rally because of the suffering of people back home."My friends are dying in Gaza. Theirkids aredying in Gaza. Everybody's dead or dying," she said.

She said she moved to Hamilton from Lebanon and has never been able to visit the Palestinian territories, where her familyis from.

"It's sad, you know? Wewant our country back. Or at leastparts of it," she said.