Brit dad stranded in Gaza with son devastated after three loved ones killed

28 October 2023 , 19:14

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The British dad is stranded in Gaza with his son

A British dad stranded in Gaza with his son revealed how his childhood friend and two cousins were killed in Israeli bomb attacks.

Civil engineer Musheir El-Farra’s phone line went dead when Israel shut down Gaza’s internet access and mobile signals as the bombardment intensified on Friday, just as he was sharing his experience of life under attack.

Musheir, 62, lives in Sheffield and is in Gaza, where he grew up, with his UK-born son Qasem, 21, for an extended break. He told how his friend, Issam El-Farra, and cousins, Hatim and Aziz El-Farra, both in their 30s, had been killed within a day of each other this week.

Musheir lives in Sheffield, and arrived in Gaza on September 4 for an extended break

He said of Issam: “He was like a brother to me. I’m gutted, I cried my heart out.”

And he added of his cousins’ deaths: “The bombing happened in the early hours of Tuesday morning 10 metres away from where I sleep. These people were not Hamas.

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He's lost his childhood friend and two cousins in Israeli bomb attacks this week

“It’s just collective punishment and it’s not right.”

Musheir, who has lost 12 other relatives – including two babies – has now vowed to stay with his Gaza loved ones.

Matthew Dresch