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Tuesday was the fourth day of extreme violence between Israelis and Palestinians following the unprecedented assault of Israelis by Hamas over the weekend.
Its impact is being felt far and wide, including in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, home to many Palestinians who have loved ones near Israel’s border.
What You Need To Know
- The Brooklyn Palestinian community is worried about their family caught up in the Israel-Hamas war
- Airlines have canceled many flights in and out of Israel following the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel Saturday
- More than 1,900 people have been killed on both sides of the Israel-Hamas war, including 1,000 in Israel alone, with the death toll expected to rise
“Since my mom has been there, I’m in so much fear and worry,” said Mahmoud Kesam, who owns the Al Aqsa Bakery and Restaurant in Bay Ridge.
He said his mother, a U.S. citizen, has been visiting her native East Jerusalem — home to mostly Palestinians — for the past several months.
“The best thing I want to do is bring my mom back here at this time because it’s safe here,” Kesam said.
But it is difficult to enter and exit Israel following the surprise attack by Hamas Saturday, as the death toll and number of casualties of Israelis and Palestinians continues to rise in the war.
Kesam also has relatives in Gaza, now under attack by Israel, who is retaliating against Hamas.
Seeing the carnage in videos and pictures, including images of dead babies, hurts Kesam's hope for the safety of his family in Gaza, where he lost four cousins in a previous conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Other Palestinians in Bay Ridge are also concerned about loved ones in the region.
“Life in Gaza is very difficult,” said Zein Rimawi, chair of the Arab American Federation of New York.
He has extended family in Gaza, but his hometown and immediate family is in a northern West Bank village two hours from Gaza.
He worries about their safety in the Israeli territory and says he can’t even send them money right now to stock up on provisions if the war gets worse.
“They ask you 100 questions here and there,” Rimawi said. “They ask you why did you send this money.”
Meanwhile, with no end in sight to the war, Kesam says the best he can hope for now is a pause to the violence.
“Book a ticket right away,” Kesam said. “Especially in the country where the war is happening, you can’t be safe.”
He said he’s hoping flights start to open up. Many major carriers have suspended service in and out of Israel, which has created a backup and is making it tough to get flight tickets.