An Irish-Palestinian man has pleaded for help to ensure his young children are evacuated from Gaza, days after his wife died from injuries caused by Israeli shelling.
Khalid El Estal told RTÉ News his wife Ashwak and many of his close friends and relatives have been killed in recent days.
And he said unless there is help from Irish authorities, he fears his young children Ali and Sara may not survive.
Mr El Estal, 30, grew up in Belfast where he went to primary school, and in recent years has been working in Saudi Arabia.
Despite trying to help his family escape Gaza, last week his wife Ashwak (pictured below) died from injuries caused by Israeli shelling, which included 60% burns to her body.
His two children, one-year-old Sara and four-year-old Ali remain in the conflict zone, a situation he said must be addressed.
Speaking after arriving in Dublin after travelling from Saudi Arabia, Mr El Astal said he cannot physically get to his children and that he is heartbroken and cannot bring himself to tell them their mother has died.
He said his wife was "everything to me", and when told officials say they are trying to evacuate dual citizens but that it will take time, he said: "Time? Time means death. My wife died in five minutes."
In a statement, a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said more than 8,000 foreign and dual nationals are in Gaza.
This figure includes thousands of dependent children who are entitled to dual citizenship in various countries.
The spokesperson said evacuations are taking place country by country on a phased basis, and that Ireland's Cairo and Tel Aviv embassies are in contact with Irish citizens in Gaza.
However, the spokesperson added that evacuations will take some time to complete.
