'Finally, we did it': Irish-Palestinian father reunites with his children at Dublin Airport

THERE WERE TEARS astatine Dublin Airport arsenic an Irish-Palestinian widower was reunited with his 2 young children.

A radical of Irish citizens arrived astatine Dublin Airport from Cairo yesterday evening aft efforts to guarantee Irish citizens were allowed to exit the Gaza Strip done the Rafah crossing.

As begetter Khalid El Estal dropped to his knees to clasp his lad Ali arsenic helium walked done arrivals, a assemblage of supporters waved Palestinian flags and chanted “free, escaped Palestine”.

El Estal’s one-year-old girl Sara, wearing a pinkish fluffy onesie, was held by her uncle who accompanied the children to Ireland.

The begetter is grieving the nonaccomplishment of his woman Ashwak, who died aft shelling of Gaza past month.

“Finally, we did it,” helium said arsenic helium held his children. “We mislaid a lot, I mislaid my wife, their mum, and my mum, my brother.

“But it’s OK, we’ll beryllium strong, I’ll instrumentality attraction of them and volition bash everything. Thank you to everyone.”

Palestinian ambassador Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid thanked Ireland for its efforts to get its citizens retired of Gaza.

“First of each I would similar to convey Ireland precise overmuch for putting the effort to bring the Palestinians, Irish citizens, to Ireland,” she said.

“I cognize the Tánaiste (Micheál Martin) and the Irish people, they enactment immense effort to bring the Palestinians (here) safe. It breaks my bosom to spot them here. I privation to spot each the Palestinian radical harmless successful Gaza.

“This genocidal warfare against the Palestinians should halt and I privation to rise my dependable from present successful Ireland to the full world: I deliberation it’s enough, capable the sidesplitting of the Palestinians, capable sidesplitting of guiltless people.”

She said she knew immoderate of the Irish-Palestinians arriving astatine Dublin Airport yesterday.

“Whatever we tin do, decidedly we volition not prevention immoderate effort to assistance our Palestinians here. I cognize that they are Irish but they are Palestinians originally. So we volition not spare immoderate effort to help.”