Israeli troops and tanks gather in a field near the kibbutz Beeri in southern Israel on October 14, 2023, close to the spot where 270 revellers were gunned down or burnt in their cars by Hamas gunmen at the Supernova music festival in the Negev desert on October 7. Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel on October 7 which killed at least 1300 people, sparking a retaliatory bombing campaign that has killed more than 1900 in the Gaza Strip ahead of a potential Israeli ground invasion of the territory.
On Sunday, American Maha Barakat claimed to have fled several times but is still stuck in Gaza with necessities running out amid constant bombings.
The US State Department officials contacted Barakat and said they will try to get her and other US citizens out of Gaza.
US State Department Officials Plan to Get Americans Out of Gaza
According to ABC News, the US Embassy in Jerusalem advised American citizens to safely move to Southern Gaza towards Gaza Valley and Khan Younis.
Tala Herzallah, a Palestinian woman, shared that Khan Younis and Rafah near the Egypt border are getting bombed on Saturday night, which makes it unsafe to go through Khan Younis.
Herzallah said, "They're telling us to move there, and then they are bombing the houses there without warning people... Things are getting worse day by day."
The US Embassy officials said, "The military conflict between Israel and Hamas is ongoing, making identifying departure options for US citizens complex."
The officials added that they are looking for more alternatives to get the Americans out of Gaza. Lena Beseiso, an American stuck in Gaza, drove back and forth to the Southern border as the US State Department advised.
"We waited until it was a bit after 6 p.m., and the border still closed," Beseiso said on her last trip, crossing Rafah on Sunday. Beseiso hopes to return home safely, but they admitted that crossing the Egyptian border puts her and other families' lives at risk.
Beseiso further said the US government can request the Egyptians to open the border. However, she worries about the delay that can put their lives in danger.
US Citizens Terrified and Stuck in Gaza Neighborhood
Barakat disclosed that about 50 other people, including children, reside with her in the Gaza neighborhood. According to ABC News, Barakat srevealed that people were running out of drinking water, cooking gas, and fuel for cars. The children in the Gaza neighborhood are terrified, screaming, and crying with every bomb.
Sari Bashi, program director for Human Rights Watch, said that the Gaza situation is worsening.
"People are being forced to drink brackish, untreated water because the price of bottled water has gone up beyond what most people can afford," Bashi said.
The closing of the Egyptian border where US citizens can pass through is only for a limited time due to the continuous bombing.The short notice of the opening frightens the Americans. The short time of the opening cannot get hundreds of Americans out.
According to CNN, Abdulla Okal, Haneen's husband stuck in Gaza, called the US Embassy. Haneen said they only gave her a link to fill out an application fosrm and were told to wait for a callback.
Haneen called again, and the US Embassy said they could not help her soon but would keep her posted. The Americans felt abandoned by the US Embassy as they remain helpless and terrified after 29 other Americans died in Isreal.
Related Article: Gaza Hospitals on the Brink: Supply Shortages, Ground Offensive Threaten Thousands of Lives
