FORT WORTH, Texas — As the Israeli-Hamas war impacts thousands of innocent people, many Texans are concerned about family and friends caught in the crossfire. Among them is North Texas resident Rania Batrice.
"I am first generation Palestinian," Batrice said. "My parents migrated here. I was born in Texas."
Batrice shared photos of her family and friends currently in the Middle East, including children. She is concerned about their safety during the war. Unfortunately, reaching them is not getting any easier.
"It's been harder to reach people. I feel like every day that passes... It's obviously getting worse and worse," said Batrice.
As the war gets worse, DFW Palestinians are getting local support. Thousands of supporters attended a downtown Dallas rally Sunday, including Rabbi Nancy Kasten. One of their goals is to let Palestinians living in North Texas know non-Palestinians are just as concerned about what's happening in the Middle East and the loss of life.
Kasten does outreach with others through organizations like Faith Commons.
"My colleagues and I have been working for years and decades to build a shared society, to de-traumatize Palestinians and Israelis, Jews and Arabs, to re-humanize each other," said Kasten.
Israeli forces announced plans to raid areas in and around Gaza. Batrice calls their actions suppression against innocent Palestinians that's taken place since 1948. She said it's worsened since Hamas formed in 1987.
"Obviously, the vast amount of us as Palestinians do not support Hamas," Batrice said. "They do not represent us."
As the war continues, she plans to continue trying to reach family and friends in the Palestine and surrounding areas. She doesn't expect things to get any better in the Middle East for her loved ones.
"We all are expecting that it's only going to get worse," said Batrice.