Gaza Couples Kept Apart: Wijdan Says She Cannot Carry It Alone

A family separated by treatment

Wijdan Abu Matar, 43, left Gaza in November 2023 with her eight children to seek medical care. Her injured husband, Hatem, stayed behind after a bombing collapsed the ceiling over the family as they prepared lunch.

For months, the family was dispersed across Egypt for treatment and accommodation with relatives. Wijdan eventually brought the children together in an apartment, but she remains separated from Hatem in Gaza.

Strain and uncertainty in Egypt

Wijdan says she has taken on both parental roles and worries constantly about Hatem. She has no regular income and depends on donations; Hatem has gone 10 months without a salary, and his injury prevents him from working.

Nour still needs treatment, but Wijdan often cannot afford her medication. She sometimes thinks about returning to Gaza to reunite with Hatem, but fears her children would face more suffering.

A wedding put on hold

Sami Abu Tabaq, a 29-year-old Palestinian photojournalist, left Gaza in April 2024, leaving behind his family and fiancée, Ola. They became engaged five months before the war began and planned to marry in November 2023.

They had met when Sami chose Ola’s family home for a photoshoot. Before the war, they spent time together, went to the sea and restaurants, and prepared a home for their life after marriage. When Sami accompanied his sister and her children south, he could not reach Ola to say goodbye.

Sami continued working as a photojournalist in southern Gaza. Four journalists who shared his tent were later killed, including Hamza al-Dahdouh, son of Al Jazeera journalist Wael al-Dahdouh.

Seeking a way to reunite

By his second day in Egypt, Sami said he felt overwhelmed by guilt. He described feeling ashamed to use lights or eat well while Ola and his family struggled to find basic necessities.