NEW ORLEANS — People across the New Orleans area are standing together as the bloodshed continues from the Gaza strip.
Here in Southeast Louisiana hearts are heavy as Conflict rages and the death toll in Gaza and Israel continues to rise.
Thousands of miles away, here in New Orleans people fear for the lives of loved ones living amidst the war. 14-year-old Abdallah Sarsour told WWLTV "I am afraid, I don't want them to get hurt." The teenager is praying for his family in Gaza, he said, "They have been telling us they are fine, they're praying, they see bombs and they hear it."
Mohammad Alkurd says since the war began on Saturday, he's been in regular contact with his family, however, Monday he wasn’t able to speak to his family. Alkurd said, "My concern is just to make sure my family is safe." He went on to say, "Some of my family actually had to evacuate to go to other parts of my family to make sure they are safe, as of right now they are safe."
Bobby Garon says he calls his brother in Israel daily, the fear of the unknown scaring both brothers, on either end of the phone line.
Garon told WWLTV, "He's never regretted any decision that he made moving to Israel, this for the first time makes him feel like they're not as safe as they've always been."
In Metairie, Senior Rabbi David Gerber held a service of solidarity for those in Israel, he and many others have family in Israel, he said, "Its painful, it's painful, when Jews feel pain, when we feel loss, we like to come together. We don't like to suffer alone, even celebrate alone, when something is going on with us deeply our instinct is to gather and that's what we're doing here today."
New Orleans families pray the conflict ends, and the lives of those living in Gaza and Israel are spared.