Palestinian Americans in Santa Barbara grieve killing of loved ones in Gaza Strip
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— Candlelight vigils have been taking place across Santa Barbara to mourn the innocent civilians lost in the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip.
Thursday Jewish Voice for Peace organized a vigil on State Street and Las Positas.
The stories shared were heartbreaking. Many families in Santa Barbara have been unable to reach loved ones in the Gaza Strip because communication has been cut off for the last few days.
Hossin Shaqur has lost over 50 members of his family in under a week.
“As a Palestinian, you expect something to happen any day, but not in this magnitude.
“It is a genocide that I feel it is when you have people being buried in groups and you don't even know who you're burying, you cannot even identify them because they're burned. The whole building is like either the building is being bombed or demolished and you just see bodies on the street,” said Shaqur.
With more than 7,000 miles separating Santa Barbara from the Gaza Strip, and communication cut off for the last few days, Shaqur is left wondering about the fate of the rest of his family.
His younger sister Miriam is on his mind every second of the day.
“Miriam’s daughter is pregnant. She's due any moment,” said Shaqur.
Miriam has taken in 40 relatives trying to shelter in place, waiting for the horror to end in the Gaza Strip.
With no running water, electricity, or ample food, and only a limited amount of humanitarian aid allowed in as of Thursday, Hossin is praying for a miracle.
“The basic needs of life are not their basic needs of life at this point. Like, you know, sometimes like you wish you're dead right? It's like you go on the street, like you see bodies everywhere. There are children in the house. You cannot even provide them with food. It's it's not easy to talk about, but it that hurts, especially like, you know, for your loved ones still. And you have like about 2 million people like that,” said Shaqur.
The Gaza Health Ministry says nearly 3,800 people have been killed and more than 12,000 wounded since October 7th.
In Israel, 1,400 people have been killed and 3,800 injured since the initial attack by Hamas earlier this month.
The staggering loss of life is hard to watch for people like, Sophia, who lives in Santa Barbara but was born in the Gaza Strip.
“You feel hopeless in a scene like this. So you just sit and cry and and then pray,” said Sophia Halima Fadila.
Jewish Voice for Peace member Marcy Winograd says she's also horrified by what she's seeing in Gaza.
“I am a descendant of those who were exterminated in Nazi concentration camps. I say never again. we need a cease fire in Gaza immediately,” said Marcy Winograd who lives in Santa Barbara and is a proud member of Jewish Voice for Peace.
Members of Jewish Voice for p\Peace are also urging people to call their representatives in Congress and demand an end to the violence.
