These joyful smiles come after far too many tears! We are thrilled to share that, thanks to our ongoing campaign of support and solidarity, Issam and his family have won the permits needed for reunification, and have recently embraced one another for the first time in 2 full years!!!!! They are the 8th of 14 long-separated families to win these permits, a process that began when Ottawa Palestinian refugee Jihan Qunoo courageously opened the door by speaking out and pushing to reunite her own family back in May, 2021 and that continued as Abedallah Al Hamdany helped bring together a dozen other families to work towards this common goal.

While we celebrate, we also want to help Issam's family as they purchase flights to get home to Canada and get newly settled. If you would like to contribute to the Rural Refugee Rights Network’s Family Reunification Fund, please send an etransfer to tasc@web.ca or mail a cheque to Homes not Bombs at 2583 Carling Ave., Unit M052, Ottawa, ON K2B 7H7.

If you are in the GTA and can contribute furniture, kitchen items, clothing, toys and other items, please email tasc@web.ca

In the meantime, we continue the pressure to reunite 6 more long-separated Palestinian refugee families from Gaza. Read about Amal Battrawi's lengthy wait to reunite with her husband and two daughters in the Hamilton Spectator: https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/2021/09/24/a-horrible-feeling-gaza-refugee-waiting-to-be-reunited-with-her-family-in-hamilton.html

Please continue sharing this petition and keeping up the pressure until everyone is safely reunited!

Thank you to everyone for your support!

Matthew Behrens, Rural Refugee Rights Network