Mother of Blackpool family stuck in Gaza says nowhere is safe

A mother-of-four waiting with her family to cross the border into Egypt from Gaza has said "nowhere is safe".

Stephanie Abuaassi, originally from Blackpool, Lancashire, moved with her family to Gaza a year ago.

She recalled how they were forced to flee their home at night after Israel launched retaliatory air strikes following Hamas's attack on 7 October.

"We're lucky we had somewhere a bit safer [to move to] but still nowhere is safe," she said.

Ms Abuaassi said she hoped her family could cross the Egyptian border at Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip later on Monday.

She explained that she had moved from Blackpool with her husband, who has family in Gaza, in order to learn Arabic, which she says she still does not speak well.

The Gaza Strip only has two other border crossings, both with Israel - Erez, a crossing for people in northern Gaza and Kerem Shalom, a solely commercial goods junction in southern Gaza. Both are now shut.

"We've experienced bombing and planes flying over us, buildings destroyed, all sorts of horrible things," she said.

"I hope we get through to Egypt today."

Ms Abuaassi said her family had temporarily moved into a relative's flat in Khan Younis for a week, where 43 people were staying.

She hopes that the family's British passports will help them get across the border.

"I feel very sorry for the people of Gaza who are not able to leave and are stuck here," she said.

"I just hope [there is help for] these people who have been left behind.

"People now don't have anywhere to live and are homeless. I just hope these people get help."

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One of her children recalled how the family had to run from their home in the middle of the night.

"Many buildings near us had been bombed," he said, adding they later found refuge in a hospital.

"In the hospital when I was there, I saw people crying, people's hands broken, women crying.

"I saw someone in shock - they were shaking - from the bombs."

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