Council on American-Islamic Relations<\/a>.<\/p>\nThis follows a motion filed in March demanding that the US government evacuate US citizens, permanent residents and their families.<\/p>\n
The injunction asked the question: “Does our government view the lives of Palestinian Americans stranded in Gaza as worthy of being saved?”<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, Project Taha and CAIR were able to help secure the evacuation of two US citizens from Gaza following a lawsuit and letter to the State Department.<\/p>\n
“The State Department\u2019s refusal to act is not just negligence. It is complicity in the genocide of the Palestinian people, which includes Palestinian Americans,” said Maria Kari, an attorney with Project Taha, in a statement.<\/p>\n
“We will not allow this betrayal to go unchallenged. Friday\u2019s hearing is about holding the U.S. government accountable for abandoning its constitutional\u00a0duty to Americans and endangering American families. We are asking the court to act where the executive branch has refused,” the attorney continued.<\/p>\n
Since the outbreak of Israel\u2019s war on Gaza, the US has assisted in evacuating its citizens from the besieged enclave. However, many of those who remain have close family members – including spouses, children, and parents – who are not US citizens and therefore cannot be left behind.<\/p>\n
The judge for the hearing has granted permission for three witnesses to appear. Khalid Mourtaga left Gaza several days ago and will testify about being abandoned in Gaza. Marowa Abusharia is the wife of a man in Gaza. Sahar Harara is the daughter of a man who was killed, a green card holder who was killed.<\/p>\n
\u201cImmediate family is always evacuated. This is truly a Palestinian exception,\u201d Kari told The New Arab.<\/p>\n
This article has been updated to reflect the rescheduled date of the hearing.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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