Minnesota couple grieves family members killed in Gaza

BLAINE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A couple from Blaine is grieving the loss of five family members who were killed in Gaza over the weekend.

It's now a daily occurrence for Fatma Abumousa and Jehad Adwan, who live in Blaine with their toddler, to check the news coming out of Gaza, where they were both born and raised. At 5 a.m. Sunday, Abumousa woke up her husband with terrible news.

"She said that her family house was bombed. She was in a very hysterical, crying. She couldn't stand. I had her sit on the ground just because she was going faint, I thought," Adwan said.

Adwan said his wife’s family home in Gaza was bombed twice during an Israeli airstrike, killing five of her family members: her sister-in-law, 40-year-old Hiba Abumousa; her cousin, 40-year-old Hani; and her three nephews, aged 18, 7 and 5.

"All these nephews and nieces – she basically raised them up there. She lived in the same household and when they were born, she was the first one to hold them… She was present in the delivery room," Adwan said.

Her nephew, 18-year-old Hmaid Abumousa, had just graduated from high school. Adwan said he was a tech whiz with big dreams.

"He was getting ready to go to college, actually overseas to Germany to study engineering. Unfortunately, that dream was quite short and he’s no longer here anymore," Adwan said.

Abumousa lived in her multigenerational family home up until three years ago when she moved to Minnesota. She used to talk to her family daily, but now, information is limited.

"I have to wait at least a whole day to have information about anything, anyone. I can't communicate with them because there is no internet, no electricity, no communication," Abumousa said.

Several more of her relatives were injured in the airstrike, including children as young as 8 years old. Details are limited about the family members who are in the hospital, but the couple believes multiple already had surgery. Some of them have shrapnel in their backs or shoulders.

"The rest of the family was spared, by the grace of God. With the injured, hopefully, I pray that they will survive," Adwan said.