18/8/2024–|Last update: 8/18/202403:44 PM (Makkah Time)
A report by The Guardian highlighted the story of Palestinian-Australian Shamekh Badra and his attempt to get his parents out of Gaza, at a time when Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton called for a comprehensive suspension of Palestinian visas, citing security concerns.
According to the report's author, Sarah Basford Canales, Dutton this week criticized the security measures governing Palestinian visas, saying they were not sufficient, and this sparked a violent reaction, with many objecting to his statements, describing them as racist and biased.
Shamekh said Dutton would not have called for visa suspensions if the request was from an Australian citizen whose family is in Gaza without food, water or medicine, and stressed the need for the government to make more efforts to get those stranded in Gaza with visas out.
Unfinished miracle
Shamekh still remembers the “miracle” of hearing from his elderly parents after seeing footage of Israeli tanks rolling through their old neighborhood in Gaza. The tanks partially destroyed the house while his parents were still inside. Shamekh then appealed Various political offices and ministry officials helped him get them out, and he got them visas but the travel was complicated.
Then Shamekh's father died in December after running out of the medicine he relied on and there was no medical care available. Shamekh's friend buried him in the garden of the house because the road to the cemetery was dangerous. Shamekh is still trying to get his mother out of the tragic situation she has been in for more than 6 months.
Her son, Ihab, was taking care of her, but he was martyred a few weeks ago after he decided to visit the family home during the humanitarian truce, with his wife and children, in an Israeli airstrike that targeted them. Shamekh said, “People told me your brother is under the rubble with his family and children. They were killed.”
On the border
Shamekh blames himself, saying, “I failed to get my parents out, I couldn’t help them in time, and the government let me down.” He continued, “My mother is alone now in an empty neighborhood, even though she has a valid visa for Australia. She is one of the thousands trapped in the war without a safe passage out.”
The visa is the first, and perhaps easiest, step in the process of bringing Umm Shamekh to Australia. His elderly mother still has to make the dangerous journey to one of the besieged Gaza Strip’s borders and get approval from Israeli and Egyptian authorities to cross. The “fatal” journey takes her to a border crossing Rafah The occupier – about 40 km – 8 hours on foot or 1 hour by car, and in the current war situation the car is not an option.
Shamekh takes solace in his success in helping other Palestinians reach Australia, having played a key role in helping his acquaintance Mohammed Saleh and his family reach Australia in July.