Father reunites with wife from Gaza in Toronto, touches his newborn child for the first time
A new mother fleeing war-torn Gaza arrived in Toronto Friday and introduced her husband to their three-week old daughter for the first time.
“I don’t know what to say, finally I got my dream,” he told CTV News Toronto at Pearson airport, still holding the bouquet of flowers he brought for his wife, Yara.
Ahmad came to Canada as a student and is now a permanent resident. He had been preparing his home in Brantford, Ont. for his new family while his wife remained in Gaza. But then she got caught in a war zone.
“The war started … and there was loss of contact,” family friend Baha Eliasblhajaa told CTV News Toronto. “He lost family members.”
There were times when Ahmad did not hear from Yara for days.
She was staying in a refugee camp, and says that she could hear bombs going off nearby. The camp was one of multiple targets of Israeli airstrikes.
Yara described through her husband, who acted as a translator, how she fled to safety and feared for the life of both herself and her child.
Ahmed Abuajedian, his wife Yara and newborn baby Sila at Toronto Pearson International airport. (Nov. 10, 2023)
“We could hear the bombardment in the ground and in the air and in the sea,” she said. “We were just running, running from place to place to get safe.”
Forty-eight hours ago, Yara learned that some foreign nationals were being allowed to cross the Rafah border into Egypt. With the help of friends and Brantford MP Larry Brock, Ahmad was able to secure his wife a visa and quickly booked a plane ticket.
“I had to be a realist. We’re hearing tragic stories hour by hour, day by day,” Brock said. “It's been a harrowing experience for Ahmad…Not knowing whether or not his pregnant wife was safe and would be able to deliver safely.”
“We're just absolutely thrilled beyond belief that this day has finally come to fruition.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
Manitoba man sentenced to house arrest for keeping fishing tournament funds meant for Children's Hospital Foundation
A Manitoba man who pleaded guilty to keeping the funds raised from an ice-fishing fundraiser for the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba has been handed a sentence of 18 months house arrest.