New Jersey residents express overwhelming grief after learning Palestinian relatives were killed in Gaza
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- There is overwhelming grief for some New Jersey residents after their Palestinian family members were killed in Gaza.
Their relatives are also continuing their calls for a cease-fire, telling CBS New York's Jenna DeAngelis they want to get to a place of peace.
"Sunday was my birthday, and my father called me that morning to tell me happy birthday and sorry to let you know that nine people in our family have passed away," Sami Shaban said.
Four generations of a family, gone with just one blast in Gaza, the youngest just 3 months old.
- Read more: Central Jersey family mourning loss of 9 relatives in Gaza: "Four generations gone in one shot"
Hours after CBS New York's team sat down with the Shabans on Tuesday night, they found out a 10th family member died, leaving Atef Shaban's brother the sole survivor.
"What kills me really that I see a picture of my brother here totally burned," Atef Shaban said.
Jersey City Councilmember Yosef Saleh says he learned of his cousin's death in the West Bank by a video posted online.
"Killed by Israeli settlers while he was harvesting his olives ... And he's a humble man that was just trying to make ends meet for his for his wife and kids," he said.
"While Israeli aggression rages in Gaza and the West Bank, Muslims in America are experiencing a rush of anti-Muslim bigotry at home," said Selaedin Maksut, executive director of CAIR New Jersey.
- Related story: Americans leave Gaza for first time during Israel-Hamas war through Rafah border crossing into Egypt
The organization says over the past few weeks, it's received more than three times the number of calls for help than it normally does.
"Over 100 calls for help or reports of bigotry ... These are only the cases that are reported to us, many cases do go unreported for fear of retaliation or backlash," said Dina Sayed Ahmed, with CAIR NJ.
They say every Palestinian family is touched by what's happening in the Middle East.
"For each number, there's a name. For each name, there's a story," Sayed Ahmed said.
They hope putting faces to the names and sharing their stories will amplify the push to end the pain and suffering.
"We can make a better future. That has to be the message and that has to be the way. But it starts with a cease-fire and humanitarian aid. If we don't stop this killing now, then what does that say about us?" Sami Shaban said.