Family ‘so excited’ as Irish-Palestinian heads to Ireland after fleeing Gaza

An Irish-Palestinian man who was blocked from leaving Rafah has fled the Gaza Strip and is making his way back to Ireland in the coming days.

Zak Hania previously spoke about his fear of never seeing his family again after they were able to leave Gaza at the end of last year.

Mr Hania’s wife Batoul and their four sons were among the Irish citizens who left Gaza via the Rafah border last November and are now living in Dublin.

Mr Hania was not accepted on to the list of evacuees and was left in the besieged territory.

Mrs Hania and her four Irish-born sons, Mazen, Ismael, Ahmed and Nour, spent months pleading for help from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

His family said that he crossed the border and is in Egypt, and is expected to arrive in Dublin on Saturday.

Mr Hania previously told the PA news agency about the “nightmare” conditions living in Rafah and how he spent months fearing he would never see his wife and sons again.

His son Mazen said they are “so excited” about being reunited with their father this weekend.