Anniversary of Gaza war marks 3 years of pain for Canadians with ties to Middle East

Three years ago, Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Israel, prompting Israel's relentless war that has resulted in over 75,000 deaths in the Gaza Strip. Edmonton mother Salomy Abusalim is grappling with the absence of her husband, who has been trapped in Gaza due to bureaucratic issues. She is running out of explanations for her son when he questions why his father remains in Gaza.

Abusalim reveals that her husband was severely malnourished during the conflict, having gone three months without food. The situation has been overwhelming, with frequent updates from relatives on the humanitarian crisis in text messages. Abusalim and her son, Rashid, now have Canadian citizenship, while her husband, Saed, has been awaiting his permanent residency application approval.

Saed was supposed to complete biometrics on October 10, 2023, but the Hamas attack triggered a catastrophic war, and he has yet to complete biometric screening in Gaza. Abusalim has taken on her son's hunger strike, now in its fourth day of consuming only water, as she cannot bear the thought of her son growing up without his father.