Son says British-Palestinian parents at Egyptian border are ‘essentially like caged hens just waiting to die’
Mo El-Deeb, whose British-Palestinian parents are in south Gaza, likens situation to ‘ticking bomb’
A man from London whose British-Palestinian parents are in southern Gaza said they are “trapped” at the border with Egypt “like caged hens waiting to die”.
Mo El-Deeb, 30, said his father, Talal El-Deeb, 66, went to visit family in Gaza a few weeks ago and his wife, Naila, 69, joined him within the last two weeks.
Mr El-Deeb said his parents, who are British-Palestinian with British citizenship, are currently waiting in Rafah at the Egyptian border in southern Gaza and likened the situation to “a ticking time bomb”.
He said he hopes his parents will be able to leave the area through the Rafah border crossing but said they are still waiting there, adding there is “no real clarity”.
“There’s obviously no water, no food, medicine they had with them has obviously run out,” Mr El-Deeb, from Marylebone, central London, told the PA news agency.
“Whether it’s going to be death by airstrike or a ground invasion or their health, it’s a ticking time bomb essentially.
“They’re essentially caged in the south.”
Mr El-Deeb said he is trying to limit the contact he has to his parents to conserve the battery on their phones.
“They’re obviously trying to keep high spirits because I’ve got four siblings here as well, but every time I speak to them I can literally hear just a non-stop barrage of bombing in the background, it just sounds so close.
“They’re essentially like caged hens just waiting to die.
“Every time nighttime comes there’s no electricity, it’s just carpet bombings.
“Every time my phone rings or I get a message, I kind of expect the worst.”
Any second your parents could be gone, and that's the life I've been living for the last couple of days
Mr El-Deeb said he has called the British Consulate “around 50 times”, speaking to “over 30 people” during the last week but said “no one can answer my questions”.
“I’ve spoken to a number of people, the general advice is to keep an eye on the email advice they sent out,” he said.
He added that his parents are “everyday ordinary people” that have “nothing to do with what’s going on”.
“Why are they being caged in like hens just waiting for what’s coming?” he said.
Mr El-Deeb said he feels “like a zombie” with the ongoing situation in Israel, adding: “I can’t see people, I can’t hear people, there’s just numbness.
“Any second your parents could be gone, and that’s the life I’ve been living for the last couple of days.
“It’s beyond words now.”
He added that his message for the UK government is to be “proactive” in getting the border open in Rafah as there are “British citizens who are stuck and waiting an imminent death”.
“They need to be proactive and they need to get over there,” he said.
“I’m sure there’s a level of influence they could impose.
“These are their own citizens, that’s my message.”
When asked about the couple’s situation, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) repeated its advice for British nationals in need of help to contact the organisation.
They reiterated that they are working with the Egyptian authorities to help those of British and dual nationality to exit the region of Gaza via Rafah.