Family arrives safely in Calgary after escaping the war in Gaza
It was a long-awaited reunion at the Calgary International Airport Saturday as Ossama Zaqqout hugged his parents, who had just arrived after fleeing the war in Gaza.
Zaqqout had been trying for months to get his parents to safety.
“My parents has been displaced several times within Gaza,” Zaqqout says.
“About two months I haven't heard at all from my parents and my family, because of communication issues, and there is no internet, there is no communication, " he says.
This is the first time since October 7, 2023 that a Calgarian's family members arrived in our city as family sponsored refugees from Gaza.
“It's a mixed feeling. I'm overwhelmed with happiness to see my father,” Zaqqout says.
“I'm overwhelmed with knowing that the Government of Canada is not going to offer us much support.”
This family, like many others, received no government support in navigating the logistics of exit fees, which can cost more than $6,800 Canadian. Refugees are also responsible for covering other costs, like accommodations in Egypt while they await their visas approval.
The financial burden of escaping the violence has prompted many in the Palestinian community to call on the Canadian government to do more to support the safe exit of residents and citizens trapped in Gaza.
The past six or seven months have been overwhelming and full of anxiety for Zaqqout and his family.
“To wake up every day, knowing that a cousin has been killed or injured, a family member has been affected -- my wife lost 11 members of her family -- to know that a friend or a colleague I used to work with in the past has been also killed or injured, it's become like a daily routine for us and that's not healthy," he said.
Zaqqout’s brother and his family received their visas and are scheduled to arrive in Calgary in mid-May.
He remains hopeful members of his wife’s family will also soon get their visas and make their way to Canada by the end of May.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.