"Hopeful that we'll live another day": Medway family trapped in Gaza sends desperate plea for help
BOSTON - Calls for help from a Medway family trapped in Gaza are growing more desperate by the day. Wafaa Abuzayda, Abood Okal and their one-year-old son Yousef are all U.S. citizens. The family sent an audio message from the war zone on Wednesday.
"Hi this is Abood Okal recording this voice memo from Gaza Strip," the message said.
They were visiting relatives in Gaza when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and they've been scrambling to get back to Massachusetts ever since.
"Today is day 18 of the war and we're still stranded in Gaza, my wife, myself, and our one-year-old son," Abood said. "My son was not able to sleep, Yousef, not until one o'clock in the morning."
He said they're trying their best to shield their son from the grim realities of the war.
"Yesterday we ran out of milk for him. We opened the last box and basically tonight we would be completely out. It would be his first night ever in his entire life to go to sleep without having milk," Abood said.
CBS News reports the U.S. has been urging Israel to delay the expected ground assault.
"Time is of an essence as well because of the ground invasion which is supposed to happen any minute now," Abood said. "We cannot even think of the destruction that would bring upon us."
They moved south in Gaza with their son when they were told to evacuate, but they've been stuck at the border with Egypt. Senators from New England drafted a letter last week urging the State Department to help U.S. citizens like the Okals to get out.
"And we're hopeful that we'll live another day to see that happen," Abood said.
The family's friends in Massachusetts are asking U.S. officials to work on establishing a safe zone in southern Gaza, at least until Americans can get out.