A Camarillo mother made it out of Gaza, where she was visiting her mother, before the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas militants.
Nabil Alshurafa’s mother now finds herself in Cairo. Though filled with joy, her family worries about other family members living in the region.
“We were happy for a moment, and then we really realized we still have aunts, uncles and her mother is there,” Alshurafa said.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
After the fifth attempt, Alshurafa’s mother successfully made it to the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt, which is now allowing foreign nationals and hundreds of American citizens to cross. One previous attempt was stalled by an airstrike.
“[My mother] told me 'Nabil, whatever you can imagine, it's worse,'” Alshurafa said.
The Biden Administration has called for a pause to fighting in Gaza. However, Alshurafa wants to make sure Palestinian families can get out.
“My aunts and uncles, my grandma, their homes have been wiped, their hopes, their dreams, their futures have been erased. Can't we at least get them out, especially from a humanitarian perspective?”
His grandmother needs lots of medication, Alshurafa says. This causes him great worry and is currently working on a plane ticket to get his mother back to Camarillo.
“We’re definitely happy and grateful that my mother is home. And just to recover from this, you’re going to need decades,” Alshurafa said.
