Family of York-born Yousef Hania are in 'desperate situation' in Gaza

Yousef Hania, aged 11, is living in the tent with his mother and father and four siblings Osama, 13, Omar, 8, Abdelrahman, 4, and Khadija, 3.

Family friend Adnan Ramzan, a British civil servant, says they have been through ‘unimaginable hardships’.

“Their home was destroyed, and they have been struggling to find shelter, food, and safety,” he said.

“The severity of their circumstances cannot be overstated and with each passing day, their situation grows increasingly perilous.”

The family, originally from Gaza City - though Yousef was born in York when his father was studying here - were displaced when Israel invaded the territory in response to the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 hostages seized.

The Hania children, l-r: Omar, Yousef, Khadijah, Osama and Abdelrahman (Image: Supplied)

As the conflict continued, they moved first to Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza strip, and then again to a tent in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, where more than half of the besieged territory's people now seek refuge.

Gaza's health ministry claims that an Israeli air strike on Saturday struck tents outside the Emirati hospital in Rafah, killing 11 people and injuring about 50, including health workers, Gaza's health ministry said.

Mr Ramzan, who got to know Yousef’s father Fadi Hania when both were studying in York, said the family were in a desperate situation.

Just this morning, he said, Fadi had travelled to Alqarara near Khan Youinis, where his nephew and niece had both been killed in a bombing at 6.30am today.

“He has tried to make his way there to try to bring back his brother and his brother’s wife,” said Mr Ramzan, who lives in London.

Yousef was born at York Hospital when his father, a web developer and IT teacher, was studying for a masters degree in computing at the University of York in 2012.

Yousef Hania, now 11, was born in York when his father was studying at York University (Image: Supplied)

John Bibby, a retired University of York maths professor, knew the family when they lived in York.

Yousef was the second son, born while his father was study at the university, John said.

“He (Yousef) was born at York Hospital. I remember the mother saying how impressed they were by the way they were treated.”

Yousef’s father went on to become a web designer and teacher, who has worked regularly for ALGOSUP, a French international software development school in Vierzon, France.

ALGOSUP has now written to the Egyptian embassy in France, urging them to give permission for the Hania family to cross the border into Egypt.

Mr Ramzan is urging people to email the Egyptian embassy in France at egymissionfra@gmal.com to plead the family’s case.

He said they had now been living in a tent in Rafah for five weeks.

Fadi Hania (Image: Supplied)

In his own email to the Egyptian embassy in France, he said: “I implore you to please think of their sake and accept Mr. Fadi Hania's application to be granted permission for entry into Egypt from the Gaza Strip immediately.”

Mr Ramzan says an Egyptian university teacher has offered to host the family in Egypt until they can get a French visa so they can travel to France and Mr Hania can continue teaching at ALGOSUP.

Franck Jeannin, the co-founder of ALGOSUP, has set up a GoFundMe page to raise € 50,000 to pay for the family’s visas.

He says, in a message on the page: “Fadi has been a regular teacher at the school, first remotely due to COVID and then on site.

“Our students love him. Fadi is not only very good at what he does (programming), he is also an exceptional teacher.

“Help us collect the money needed to buy visas to Egypt for Fadi, his children and wife.

"Recently they spent several nights in the rain, cold and mud. With 300 civilian deaths every day, it's only a matter of time before they get seriously injured or worse."

Gaza's health ministry says the Palestinian death toll from the war has now climbed to 30,320.