Zak Hania, a man of Palestinian and Irish origin has commenced his journey from Gaza Strip with plans to reunite with his family in Dublin during the coming weekend. The journey was initiated through the Rafah Crossing on Tuesday, and subsequently, Mr Hania arrived in Cairo after he went through the necessary border checks in Egypt.
He conveyed his experiences of an exhausting journey via a WhatsApp message and his expected arrival in Dublin is on Saturday. Batoul, Mr Hania’s wife and his Irish-born sons named Mazen, Ismael, Ahmed and Nour, had left Gaza in the previous month of November. They have been advocating for his safe traversal for several months.
Initially, Mr Hania was denied the permission to leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing as it requires authorisation from both the Israeli and Egyptian authorities. The Department of Foreign Affairs made a statement revealing that “a couple of Irish citizens and dependants crossed from Gaza into Egypt” on Tuesday but refrained from commenting particularly on Mr Hania’s case.
Meanwhile, the Irish Embassy located in Cairo is extending consular support and is in regular touch with the citizens. Mr Hania, in the wake of Israel’s offensive operations on Gaza last October, moved from his residence in Gaza city to Khan Younis in the south, and later, towards Rafah.
In the past, Mr Hania lived in Ireland for approximately ten years after returning from Gaza City. He initially moved to Ireland in 1998 and spent some time residing in Castleknock, situated in west Dublin. He currently holds a master’s degree from Dublin City University and functions as a researcher and translator.