KUALA LUMPUR: Overcome by emotions after finally returning to Malaysia from war-torn Gaza, Nurul Ain Haron has asked Malaysians to support the call for a ceasefire in the war with Israel.
"Ceasefire, please support the (call for) ceasefire," she said during a press conference held after she arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 here, earlier today.
Though she was happy to have arrived safely here with her Palestinian husband, Mohamed A. M. Shaat, she remains disquiet about the people in Gaza who are in dire need of help.
The couple was embraced by their family members at the special lounge of the airport, welcoming them home. It left no dry eye.
The couple recounted surviving their horrific days of attacks by Israeli forces in Gaza.
"At first we did not want to leave but the situation worsened, even worse than the 2014 war.
"Many donated through us but we soon ran out of food and even blankets.
"(And) we weren't able to withdraw money to buy (and replenish) items to help the others.
"The situation there is beyond imagination," she said as she tried to hold back tears.
She thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the ambassadors for taking extra care of them until they reached safely from Doha.
Their flight arrived at around 8.55pm.
The couple was safely evacuated from the Gaza conflict zone on Nov 12 through the Rafah border crossing with the help of the Malaysian ambassador to Cairo.
Nurul Ain said that it was a difficult decision to leave behind her in-laws and family there.
She recalled her husband's relatives who cooked for them, only to be killed three days later from the missiles that destroyed their home in Gaza.
"Eight missiles were dropped on them.
"Everything was destroyed; they were unrecognisable.
"The biggest bread factory in Gaza was also bombed.
"(There was) no electricity and no water.
"My brother-in-law had to carry a heavy car battery on his bicycle but he fell down and broke his arm.
"It has been a difficult time for all since day one.
"We left with bismillah and left them to the hands of Allah.
"We will find other ways to help them. Maybe by buying items through wholesalers in Dubai to be sent to them," she said.
Foreign Affairs Ministry secretary general Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin welcomed the couple back to the country earlier today.