Palestinians in Chicago mourn loss of family in Gaza

Dr. Mohammed AbuSafia is a doctor from Northern Gaza. He traveled to the United States at the end of July for a two-month-long medical program at Cleveland Clinic. He planned to be back in Gaza by October 7. But due to travel delays, he had to start his externship one week late, meaning AbuSafia was still in the United States the day of the Hamas attack on Israel.

"I cried at the border when I had to say goodbye. And I cried constantly during the car ride from the border to the airport. Because I knew things can go bad at some point," AbuSafia said in an interview with Morning Edition.

While AbuSafia was away, things did turn bad. He says his entire direct family was wiped out in two separate Israeli airstrikes. AbuSafia says the first airstrike hit his home