The son of a Canadian couple killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Monday said he had to witness “horrific scenes” just to be able to identify his parents’ bodies.
Daad and Hussein Tabaja, 69 and 75, were among those killed in Israeli strikes on Monday. The Tabajas first came to Canada in 1989 but had to go back to Lebanon because they couldn’t secure permanent resident status. In 1995, they were able to move and eventually became Canadian citizens.
Over the last few years, the former Ottawa residents had been living in southern Lebanon to spend time with their grandchildren.
He said this was unusual for his father, Hussein Tabaja, who Kamal said was a very meticulous person. When the reports of the bombings got worse, he called his brother.
“I told my brother… you have got to go up to the hospitals,” he said.
Jamal Tabaja, who went to hospitals to find his parents said, “I never thought I would have to go through this in my life.”
He described the harrowing situation at the hospital.
“The horrific images of the bodies, the headless, the limbless… I can’t describe the scenes that I had to see to find my parents,” he said, “You shouldn’t have to go through 50 corpses, identifying people, to see if one of them or two them are your parents.”
After the DNA test confirmed their worst fears, the brothers had the difficult task of letting everyone else in the family know.
“Telling your sisters and your family relatives, especially their grandkids, that was the most difficult part. They just wouldn’t accept it,” Kamal said.
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly spoke with both brothers and offered condolences on behalf of the Canadian government.
“This morning, I spoke with Jalal and Kamal, the sons of Canadian citizens Daad and Hussein Tabaja. I condemn the killing of these two innocent people who were fleeing violence in an IDF strike. We refuse to let civilians bear the cost of this conflict,” Joly said in a post on the social media platform X on Thursday.
Lebanon’s health ministry said Monday’s strikes killed 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women, and wounded 1,645 people — a staggering one-day toll for a country still reeling from a deadly attack on communication devices last week.
By Friday, the death toll in Lebanon had climbed to 700 just this week
— With files from The Associated Press, as well as Global’s Kieron O’Dea and Jeff Semple
Conclusion
The loss of life in Lebanon due to Israeli strikes is devastating and unacceptable. The stories of families like the Tabajas, who were seeking to escape violence and make a better life for themselves, are heartbreaking. It is essential that we recognize the human cost of this conflict and work towards a peaceful resolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who were the Canadian couple killed in the Israeli strikes in Lebanon?
- Daad and Hussein Tabaja, 69 and 75, were among those killed in Israeli strikes on Monday.
- How long had the Tabajas been living in Canada?
- They first came to Canada in 1989 but had to go back to Lebanon because they couldn’t secure permanent resident status. In 1995, they were able to move and eventually became Canadian citizens.
- What happened to the Tabajas in the hospital?
- Jamal Tabaja, who went to hospitals to find his parents, described the harrowing situation at the hospital, saying he had to identify his parents’ bodies among 50 corpses.
- What did Foreign Minister Melanie Joly say about the situation?
- Joly condemned the killing of the two innocent people who were fleeing violence in an IDF strike and said that Canada refuses to let civilians bear the cost of this conflict.