# Couples separated by Gaza war

> Wijdan Abu Matar and Sami Abu Tabaq wait for reunion after Gaza war.
- Title: Couples separated by Gaza war · the Guardian | Shortify
- Summary: Wijdan Abu Matar and Sami Abu Tabaq wait for reunion after Gaza war. Wijdan Abu Matar and Sami Abu Tabaq, separated by the Gaza war, await reunion after…
- Keywords: wijdan abu matar, sami abu tabaq, gaza war, palestine, egypt, family separation, medical treatment, united nations, news, world, Couples, separated
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/17/couples-families-separated-war-in-gaza
- Published: 2026-10-17T07:00:24+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: wijdan abu matar, sami abu tabaq, gaza war, palestine, egypt, family separation, medical treatment, united nations, news, world
## Wijdan Abu Matar's family split
Wijdan Abu Matar, 43, fled Gaza with her eight children in November 2023 for medical treatment while her husband Hatem remained behind.

> I cannot carry all of this alone
## Bombing at home
A Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 led to an Israeli strike on 17 October that injured Wijdan and her family.

> We were sitting together, just about to start lunch when the bombing happened
## Severe injuries
Nour, 15, suffered a fractured skull and brain bleeding; Amna, five, had severe chest burns.

> The ceiling collapsed over our heads. Everything went dark.
## Medical treatment in Egypt
Wijdan took Nour to Egypt for treatment on 30 November 2023, but her family remained scattered across Egypt.

> I felt completely helpless
## Wijdan's burden
Wijdan became both mother and father to her children, but she is still separated from her husband in Gaza.

> I have become both the mother and the father to my children
## Hatem's injury
Hatem, Wijdan's husband, has a serious leg injury that limits his mobility and is displaced in a tent in Nuseirat.

> I am counting the days until I can see you again
## Financial struggles
Wijdan has no regular income and relies on donations; Hatem stopped receiving a salary 10 months ago.

> I see my children’s future slipping away in front of me
## Sami Abu Tabaq's story
Sami Abu Tabaq, a 29-year-old Palestinian photojournalist, fled Gaza with his fiancee Ola in April 2024.

> Loneliness kills me every day
## Separation from Ola
Sami and Ola were separated when Sami fled Gaza in April 2024, but they have not reunited for nearly two and a half years.

> You go, and I’ll follow you
## Ola's situation
Ola completed her nursing degree in Gaza but has lost family members, including her cousin Ayat Khadoura.

> I prayed, ‘God, please bring us together soon’
## Waiting for reunion
Sami waits for Ola to join him in Egypt, hoping she will find a way to leave Gaza through education or scholarships.

> I will wait for her for the rest of my life
## Key takeaway

Wijdan Abu Matar and Sami Abu Tabaq, separated by the Gaza war, await reunion after three years of separation.