A family separated by geography and conflict has reunited following an extended legal process. Mais al-Gharam, 23, had previously emigrated from Gaza to Nazareth in Israel, where she obtained Israeli citizenship through her mother, a Palestinian citizen of Israel. Her seven siblings remained in Gaza with their parents after the family decided to stay together when conflict escalated in October 2023.
On July 10, 2024, an airstrike struck the family’s home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing both parents and one younger brother. The surviving siblings, then ages 8 to 22, were injured in the strike. Following the deaths, Mais initiated contact with HaMoked, an Israeli rights organization, to pursue reunification procedures. The process proved complex, requiring Israeli Interior Ministry permits, court orders establishing guardianship, and successful citizenship applications for all six surviving siblings.
Initial attempts to use standard family reunification procedures faced obstacles when the Interior Ministry rejected the request, citing the mother’s death. The family subsequently underwent DNA testing at the Kerem Shalom border crossing to establish the siblings’ relationship to Mais, an Israeli citizen. Additional trips to the crossing were necessary to complete passport applications and sign required paperwork.
The siblings arrived in Israel on July 8, nearly two years after the airstrike that killed their parents. They traveled from Gaza through the border crossing, then proceeded to Nazareth where extended family members received them. Upon arrival, the siblings expressed priorities including education, medical care, and spending time with relatives. The reunification represents one of an estimated 300 cases of divided families with members on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian border.
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