THERE were tears of joy as Belfast-born Palestinian Khalid El-Estal was reunited on Sunday with his two young children after they were flown to safety from Gaza.
His four-year-old son Ali and one-year-old daughter Sara were embraced by their father in emotional scenes as they emerged from the arrivals gate at Dublin Airport on Sunday evening.
The two children, who left Gaza via Egypt with assistance from the Irish government, were accompanied to Dublin with Khalid’s brother-in-law, Mohammed Jendia.
They were among more than 50 Irish-Palestinian citizens and dependents who have travelled with help from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.
Their arrival comes a month after their mother, and Khalid’s wife Ashwak Jendia, sadly died after being injured after an explosion in an apartment during the turmoil in Gaza.
Ali and Sara were also injured in the blast, but were able to recover and take shelter in a hospital in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis.
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Khalid (30), who was born in Belfast, had been working in Saudi Arabia to support his family when the tragedy happened.
The couple had met when they attended university together.
Khalid returned to Belfast a few weeks ago and sought diplomatic assistance to get his children to safety.
Speaking ahead of the reunion with his children, Khalid vowed to care for the pair in honour of his wife.
"That's her will, I will take care of them, I will do everything that I can to make her happy," he said.
Others to be greeted by loved ones at Dublin Airport on Sunday included Nisreen Abuowda and her one-year-old daughter Sara, who returned to join relieved relatives in Tallaght.
Ms Abouwda spoke of her joy at returning to Ireland, but said she was also sad "because I left my big family in Gaza".
She added of the ongoing conflict: "Entire families are wiped out. What happened in Gaza is genocide."
More Irish citizens are expected to arrive from Gaza at Dublin Airport tomorrow.
