(LOS ANGELES, CA – 11/20/2023) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today celebrated the safe return of six members of the Kaoud family from occupied Gaza.
Jamal, Esam, Hesham, Nezam, Mohammad, and Ameer Kaoud are Palestinian Americans who were visiting relatives in northern Gaza when they found themselves trapped, along with hundreds of other Americans, after Israel began its violent assault. On Oct. 27, CAIR-LA held a press conference with Jamal Kaoud’s daughters, Shamiss and Dooneya Kaoud, and Esam Kaoud’s daughter, Helal Kaoud, who spoke about their family’s multiple attempts to leave Gaza and their struggle to receive assistance or answers from the State Department.
SEE: CAIR-LA Hosts Press Conference on Behalf of Palestinian Americans Trapped in Gaza
After weeks of uncertainty and tireless advocacy – which included a lawsuit filed on behalf of three of the Kaoud men by the ANAR Project – all six of the family members were able to leave Gaza safely and arrive home. Jamal and Mohammad arrived in the U.S. on Nov. 6, and Esam, Ameer, and Nezam arrived Nov. 16.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Managing Attorney Dina Chehata Esq. said:
“We are all breathing a momentary sigh of relief for the Kaoud family and these six men who have escaped Israel’s brutal bombardment of Gaza—where every civilian is living under the specter of death and forced displacement. While I’m relieved for my clients, I know they are not celebrating today. They still have family among the millions of Gazans left behind who have no food, no clean water, no fuel, no electricity, no medicine, and no reliable humanitarian aid.
“Children have died in the thousands, and entire Palestinian families are being wiped off the face of the earth. Tens of thousands more are being orphaned, displaced, and maimed—this cannot go on. We demand that our government start listening to its citizens and the global voices of conscience who call for an urgent ceasefire now.”
In a joint statement, the Kaoud family said:
“We would like to thank CAIR-LA for giving us the platform to get our story out and Project ANAR and the Arab American Civil Rights League for advocating and fighting for the safe return of our family and their continued advocacy for U.S. citizens. For the past month, we have been relentlessly fighting to bring our family home, and after 37 days, our family is finally back. Although we are beyond happy to have our family home safely, the reunion is bittersweet.
“The stress and fear of having no food, no water, no medicine, and no safe place to go, all while being under constant bombardment while our country has ignored us, is beyond comprehension. Our family members are experiencing post-traumatic consequences daily—something they will struggle with for the foreseeable future. While we all try to get back to a somewhat ‘normal’ life, there is an overwhelming sense of guilt and worry for Gaza and the rest of our family, who remain there without the option to leave.
“We want to thank everyone who listened, made calls, shared our story, prayed, and fought alongside us for our family and the people of Gaza. Please don’t stop using your voice. We will continue to fight and continue to pressure our government officials until every U.S. citizen is home safe and a ceasefire is called. We will not stop until we see a free Palestine.”
With more than 12,000 Palestinians killed by Israel since Oct. 7, over 4,600 of whom are children, CAIR-LA continues to call on elected officials, the U.S. State Department, and the Biden administration to demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to all military aid to Israel. CAIR-LA also calls for the evacuation of all Palestinian Americans still trapped in Gaza.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com