For many Palestinian Americans, there’s a sense of helplessness and hopelessness as they struggle to hear from loved ones in Gaza. But even before this week, getting to Gaza to visit family for Palestinian Americans was a lengthy, exhausting and difficult experience, and most people who live Gaza can never leave. Unlike Israeli Americans, Palestinian Americans say they have never been afforded the opportunity to freely help their loved ones in times of crisis. Palestinian Americans say they’ve never had the option to do the same. Othman’s extended family lives in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank, but her husband’s family is in Gaza.

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Persons: Laila El, Haddad, “ I’m, ” El, Mohammad AbuLughod, Deanna Othman’s, ” Othman, She'd, Abdulla, Okal's, “, Haneen Okal, they’ve, “ It’s, ”, Othman, Nahed Elrayes, Elrayes, ” Elrayes, AbuLughod, Israel —, Amirah AbuLughod, Hani Almadhoun, ” Almadhoun, ” ____ Noreen Nasir Organizations: Israel, Gaza Health Ministry, Associated Press, United Nations, AP, State Department, U.S, Palestinian, West Bank, USA Locations: Columbia , Maryland, El, Gaza, Palestinian, Israel, Milwaukee, AbuLughod, Chicago, Palestinian American, New Jersey, Egypt, Rafah, Maryland, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, New York