Maple Grove family says 30 members killed in Gaza Strip
MAPLE GROVE, MINN. -- The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) announced the death of dozens of Palestinians that it said were members of a family in Minnesota.
According to CAIR, 30 family members of Tariq and Manal Hamouda of Maple Grove, Minnesota, were killed. CAIR said in a news release that the people were killed by missiles fired by Israel.
WCCO has not been able to independently confirm that information.
One by one, people filled the Brooklyn Park Islamic Center Friday evening, to pray for Tariq and Hamouda's family during a devastating time.
Tariq Hamouda said the missiles hit Thursday between 10 p.m. and midnight during their time zone, killing 30 members of his wife's family.
"Their kids, their grandkids were in this building. They all got killed," Tariq Hamouda said.
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The family owns one of the region's largest family-operated eye clinics in Gaza.
Among the 30 people who died, four were doctors, CAIR said.
Only Manal Hamouda's mother and one nephew survived, the family said.
Tariq Hamouda says the heartache has been too much to bear for his family, especially his wife.
"She has been speechless since that happened," Tariq Hamouda said.
