Northern suburbs Adelaide family rescued after being trapped in Gaza for over a month

An Adelaide dad, trapped in Gaza with his wife and two children for more than a month, has shared a family photo taken moments after they finally escaped over the border.

An Adelaide family has shared a “happy moment” at the Australian embassy in Cairo soon after they managed to flee war-torn Gaza into Egypt.

The family of four, who asked not to be identified for fears over their safety, captioned the photo “Aussie Aussie Aussie … oie oie oie”.

The Adelaide father said he, his wife and two children were looking forward to a “restful sleep”.

He told The Advertiser from the safety of Cairo on Thursday they couldn’t wait to get home to Adelaide.

“The ride on the bus was extremely long and exhausting,” he said.

“It took us more than eight hours but we were provided with refreshments along the way and food upon arrival.

“I have mixed feelings – on the one hand I’m relieved that my small family are now safe. “And, while I’m looking forward to resuming our normal life in Adelaide, I’m absolutely worried about my friends and bigger family including parents, siblings, and siblings’ families.

An Australian family from Adelaide is trapped in Gaza and unable to cross the Rafah border. Picture: Supplied

“My heart is torn apart to see my hometown brought down to rubble.”

DFAT staff met the Adelaide family, who were among 23 Australian passport holders, as they crossed the border to Cairo and are organising flights back to home soil for the group.

The father thanked DFAT and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong for getting them to safety.

“We also feel indebted to all those who advocated for me and my family including friends, neighbours, colleagues, ex-colleagues, employers, journalists, human rights activists, and really all Australians who felt our pain and wanted to see us back in Australia,” he said.

“Today was a day I felt incredibly proud to be Australian.”

The couple and their two children were visiting family in Gaza when the war broke-out last month.

The 23 rescued citizens registered with DFAT include 20 Australians, two family members and one permanent resident.

Rescued citizens were examined by medics before being loaded on to a bus, headed to Cairo, Egypt.

Others were photographed being escorted off the buses at the northeastern Egyptian city of Ismailia along with the bags after a devastating few weeks in the midst of war.

As of Thursday, there are about 60 to 70 Australians remaining in Gaza, including a mix of Australian citizens, permanent residents and their family members.

An Australian family from Adelaide is trapped in Gaza and unable to cross the Rafah border. Picture: Supplied

One Australian citizen from Sydney made the heartbreaking decision to turn back from the checkpoint in Gaza because his wife, who did not hold an Australian passport, was unable cross the border.

“Of course I’m terrified. I am really scared of violence. I go to bed sometimes and I don’t know if I’m going to wake up again.

“That’s just the way it is, it’s just so awful, so awful.”

Australians rescued from war-torn Gaza will be brought home free of charge as consular officials prepare for their return from Egypt.