Mum surprises twins in school reunion after fleeing Gaza

A mother has told how seeing her twins in a surprise reunion at their school after fleeing the Israel Gaza war was "the best moment in my life".

Islam Alashi, 37, left her Merseyside home to visit her sick father in Gaza just before the conflict broke out.

Her husband said their five-year-old children cried for her every day as they waited for her return.

They finally got their wish when she got home and surprised them at Riverside Primary School in Seacombe.

"I lost hope that I would get back to my kids," Ms Alashi said.

She said she felt she would never see them again, adding: "I just cuddled them in my love.

"I feel like I'm just living a new life now. This is my new beginning with them."

Ms Alashi, from Wallasey, travelled to Gaza on 16 September and was staying near the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, which became the scene of some of the heaviest fighting.

Gaza continues to suffer aerial bombardments following Hamas's 7 October attacks

Her husband Feiz Chihaoui said she had feared she may not survive as the death toll in Gaza climbed.

After her aunt's house was damaged by shelling, Ms Alashi - whose mother died during the coronavirus pandemic - walked eight miles (13 km) to Khan Younis, accompanied by her 70-year-old father in a donkey cart.

They stayed in a large tented refugee camp, drinking rainwater to survive.

Ms Alashi said the "bombing was everywhere", adding: "You can't sleep at all, not even for a minute."

She was eventually allowed to cross the border into Egypt but said she felt "guilty" she had to leave her relatives behind. With Yemeni passports, they were not allowed to cross.

She said she faced a "very bad choice" even though they encouraged her to leave.

Riverside Primary School staff lobbied the UK government for Ms Alashi's return

Since her return to the UK, Mr Chihaoui said he is "very happy" to have the family reunited but it was also "hard" for his wife to readjust.

He said "her happiness is not complete" until her relatives can also escape Gaza.

Megan Whitehead-Thompson, who works at the school, said since Ms Alashi's return her twins had become more "excited and happy".

"It's just been wonderful to see them all back together again," she said.

Headteacher Christina Lahive, who joined staff in lobbying the government for Ms Alashi's return, added: "I just can't tell you how wonderful that moment was."

Ms Alashi, who works as an English teacher for older students, described the school staff as "my heroes".

She added: "They helped me a lot to escape from the war. So everything they did for me and for the kids and for my husband, I will never forget it."