The Medway family, communicating with a local friend, said they have been trying to leave Gaza since Hamas attacked Israel Oct. 7. For the past week, they have stayed near the Rafah crossing at the Egyptian border, but they have not been permitted to cross.
A truck of the Egyptian National Alliance carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip cross the Rafah border gate, in Rafah, Egypt, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. trapped in the enclave was said to be in communication with U.S. officials, raising hope that they might be able to cross into Egypt.
"This family, and I'm sure the other hundreds of American citizens in Rafah right now, feel completely abandoned by their government," Nabulsi said in a text exchange with WBUR Saturday. Nabulsi said he has limited contact with his friends because they have spotty wifi and power. But on Friday they messaged him saying they had run out of clean water, and the bombings had increased and were coming closer.
The State Department said it is working to get American citizens out of Gaza. In an emailed statement this week, the State Department said it is"making every effort to persuade responsible parties to open the Rafah crossing." The department encouraged Americans in Gaza to closely monitor the situation, saying"there may be very little notice if the crossing opens and it may only open for a limited time.
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