Bradford student's plea to get family out of war-torn Gaza

The parents and three sisters of University of Bradford student Muhammed Alshurafa are desperately trying to flee the Palestinian city after their home was bombed.

One of his sisters described the country, which is currently at war with Israel, as like something out of the video game Call of Duty.

This was when the family "passed dead bodies" as they travelled from one end of the strip to the other.

A family photo shared by Muhammed (Image: UGC)"They took the car," said Muhammed, who has spent the last decade doing humanitarian work across the world.

"With the windscreen shattered and just a bit of fuel remaining, they did not know if they would make it or be forced to stop in the middle which would be very dangerous because people get killed there.

"It was horrific. They saw dead bodies on the highway to the south.

"She (Muhammed's sister) was telling me that it reminded her of the Call of Duty games I used to play.

"'We lived this for real', she said."

The family - which consists of Muhammed's three sisters Alaa, Amani and Areej, and their mother Faten and father Nasser - managed to reach friends in the south.

When they tried the car again it would not start.

"We are glad they reached the south safe but it was a horrible experience."

Muhammed's family home following the bombing (Image: UGC)Muhammed, who is studying for a master's degree in peacebuilding and conflict resolution as a Rotary Peace Fellow, has single-handily raised over £8,000 in an attempt to fund his family's exit (you can donate by clicking on the link) to Switzerland where his fourth sister Amal resides.

"Everything was normal, then in the morning they heard thousands of rockets either coming or going from Gaza and had no idea what was happening," Muhammed said.

"There were blasts in the sky. They took shelter. It was scary for them."

This is when their struggles began.

On October 7, 2023, the family relocated to a relative's home closer to the city centre.

"They felt safer around other people", Muhammed told the Telegraph & Argus.

Between that horrible day and November 28, their four-storey property was sadly hit by an air strike.

Muhammed said: "A house is just cement, the most important thing is my family is alive.

"When I saw the video (of the family home in ruins) I started crying because all of the memories came back from the house. It was so painful.

"I had belongings there. I wanted to one day go back there and be with my family.

"I did not send it to them at first because of how painful it would have been for them."

Muhammed with mother Faten (left) and sister Areej (middle) (Image: UGC)The family eventually saw what had happened to their home but the torment did not end there as they were faced with a dilemma.

Muhammed added: "When they went to my relatives, the Israel military then ordered people to go south.

"They wanted to go but were hearing from others that on their way south people were getting killed.

"They did not know what to do, neither did I because if something happened to them I would never forgive myself."

A drone then hit their temporary home, covering the family in dust - luckily nobody was injured.

They were left with no other choice than to go on the move again, travelling through the dangerous heart of the strip.

The family hope to flee to Switzerland (Image: UGC)Muhammed says he has "tried everything" to get help for his family but "nothing has worked".

It led to him creating the GoFundMe page on January 1 which has been met with a great response.

He added: "I decided to launch the fundraiser to help evacuate them and secure money for the flights, visa, and accommodation.

"Once they leave, they need somewhere to go. I can't invite them to the UK because I am on a student visa.

"My sister is an EU citizen (living in Switzerland) so she can get them on a visa for three months. Then we will see.

"A lot of things are currently unclear as to when people can return.

"We don't have a house anymore in Gaza even when this war ends."