New Zealand-based relatives of those living in Gaza are fearful that, without more support to help their loved ones join them here, they'll soon have no-one left to save.
Auckland man Nehad Albattniji had only recently taken his children to meet their family in Gaza for the first time. In some cases, it was to be their last reunion.
Albattniji said 77 of his relatives have died in the latest conflict — the youngest just eight months old.
"When you lose only one from the family, it hurts your heart. But when you lose a lot you can't imagine. We don't wake up till now."
He says three of his brothers are also missing — the latest after being caught up in an Israeli raid of al-Shifa Hospital yesterday evening. The Israeli Defence Force said the hospital housed Hamas operatives.
"The two kids, they had to leave the hospital to the south, so they walk about six to seven hours by the sea," he says. "The kids lost their mum, and now they lost their dad."
Their family homes that jwere filled with celebration early last year were now mostly rubble. His surviving relatives were split across the narrow strip of land.
Albattniji was trying to get two of his brothers, and their families visas, but he said the process has been difficult and slow. He would like a specific visa issued for those in Gaza.
"Otherwise, we are going to lose them all because every day is a different situation in Gaza," he said.
'This isn't about stepping into the conflict'
Today, 30 organisations signed an open letter calling on the New Zealand Government to grant humanitarian visas to Palestinians.
Co-director of the centre for Asia Pacific Refugee studies Jay Marlowe said setting up a specific pathway would not mean taking a side in the conflict.
"This isn't about the geopolitics of stepping into the war — it's about protecting those families with links here."
He said it was also not unprecedented for a special humanitarian pathway; various governments of all political leanings have done it, most recently for the Ukrainians in 2022, Afghans in 2021 and Syrians in 2015.
Questions asked in the House
Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March also raised the issue in Parliament today, as he asked the Immigration Minister why a special visa couldn't be set up.
"This is a matter of life and death. Every day the situation in Gaza gets worse and the Minister needs to listen to the pleas of Palestinians," he said.
In response, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford made reference to Canada, where — despite a special visa being set up — no Palestinians have been able to arrive.
"The situation, sadly and tragically in Gaza, is that a visa will not allow them to leave. This is a border issue and a humanitarian issue and simply issuing a visa is issuing false hope right now."
Marlowe acknowledged the situation at the border in Gaza did make things more difficult, but pointed out the case of Australia as an example of how it could be done. There, some 400 of around 2000 Palestinians who were granted visas have arrived.
There also existed an escalation process for Israeli and Palestinian nationals, where those affected by the conflict could ask to have their application assessed more urgently.
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