Palestinian-American family stuck in Gaza despite pleas to US officials: 'We feel abandoned'
The Biden administration says it is seeking safe passage for civilians in Gaza. Haneen Okal, a Palestinian-American who lives in New Jersey, reunited in recent months with family in the Gaza Strip for the first time in more than 10 years, she told ABC News. Now, Okal and her three young children -- two of whom were born and raised in the U.S. -- find themselves caught in the Israel-Hamas war despite pleas to U.S. officials in Israel, Okal said in an interview. "It's very terrifying because we all want to get out of here," Okal said. "Unfortunately, the U.S. embassy is not helping. We feel abandoned." Okal's husband, Abdulla, is at home in New Jersey pleading for help getting his family back to the U.S. safely. On ABC News Live at 8:30 pm on Thursday, Oct. 12, ABC News' James Longman, Matt Gutman and Ian Pannell look at the horrendous toll from Hamas’ massacre, the Israelis and Palestinians caught in middle and what comes next. In the aftermath of an a...