Americans Taken Hostage by Israel in Gaza, Denver Residents Speaks Up About His Family Subject

Students for Justice in Palestine Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sjpuic/p/C3OCD9evisF/

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I’m reaching out to bring to your attention the urgent situation involving U.S. citizens Hashem Alagha and Borak Alagha who were taken hostage by Israeli soldiers in Gaza on February 7 at approximately 5:00 am local time.

Israeli soldiers forcibly entered my cousins’ Al-Mawasi residence as the family slept. They apprehended all the men in the building, including the aforementioned U.S. citizens. The women and children of the family were tied up. They were thrown into the street while the soldiers proceeded to vandalize the interior of their home. The soldiers confiscated all electronic devices. The family car’s tires were slashed, depriving the family of their last means of transportation.

The individuals taken hostage are as follows:

Hashem Alagha (20): U.S. and Canadian citizen
Borak Alagha (18): U.S. and Canadian citizen
Ahmed Alagha (48): Canadian citizen, father of the U.S. citizens

Maen Alagha (52): Mentally-disabled uncle of the U.S. citizens
Two other male relatives

A total of 20 Alagha family members were seized from the Al-Mawasi area during this operation.

AlJazeera-video_IDF-soldiers-mistreating-prisoners

It is crucial to note that my cousins and their family have been attempting to evacuate for several months, and the State Department has been on notice of the imminent danger these Americans have been facing. The two U.S. citizens had registered on the State Department’s Crisis Intake Form at the start of the Israeli violence. They were informed by the State Department that all of the family had been cleared to exit Gaza. However, Israel controls the final departure list of who leaves at Rafah Crossing and, to date, Israel did not include the Alagha family on this exit list. Indeed, Israel has intentionally been separating families and incarcerating men and subjecting them to torture.

Our case has been widely publicized across mainstream media. In December, we filed suit against the State Department and the Biden Administration for its failure to evacuate Palestinian-Americans. But, despite their continuous pleas for assistance, the U.S. government has failed to meaningfully engage with us. We will be refiling suit in federal court in the coming days.

We request that the U.S. works urgently to ensure the safe release of this family and the safe passage out of Gaza.

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