Israeli-American, Palestinian-American in Philadelphia react to airstrikes overseas

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Listening to Dafna Ofer and Osama Al-Qasem talk about the Israel-Hamas war, you can't help but notice some of their sentiments overlap.

Both spoke to Action News about the Israeli airstrike over the weekend that is estimated to have claimed the lives of dozens of Palestinians during the 10-month-long war.

"You become numb," said Al-Qasem, vice president and member of the board of directors for the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Philadelphia.

"Very painful, very painful," said Ofer, referring to the months of war that began when Hamas militants kidnapped more than 200 hostages in Israel.

Al-Qasem watched news of this weekend's airstrike by Israeli forces knowing his wife has family in Palestine. He says watching the devastation evokes a feeling of helplessness.

"This is not acceptable in the United States," he said of the airstrike which killed at least 90 people. "We don't do things like that. Over here we value human life. They don't value Palestinian life."

Israel says the strikes were aimed at Hamas, operating inside a school-turned-shelter in Gaza. But Al-Qasem thinks even if Hamas was the target, Israel could have taken more care by using a method that would have not resulted in Palestinian casualties.

SEE ALSO | Israel widens evacuation orders in southern Gaza after deadly strike on school-turned-shelter

"Nobody cares about the Palestinian lives," he said. "Where are the condemnations from Congress?"

Ofer has three children who live in Israel. She returned to the area on Sunday. She says Israelis also fear attacks in northern Israel.

"There was an incident yesterday where someone got killed by a Hamas terrorist while driving his car, she said. "My daughter was there a couple minutes before that."

Ofer is part of a grassroots group that organizes pro-Israeli events in the Philadelphia area, including an empty table Shabbat dinner to draw attention to the October 7 hostages.

"One thing that can actually resolve at least the immediate situation is if all the hostages will be back," she said.

The weekend strikes have made pro-Palestinian calls for a ceasefire even louder.

"It's about time to have a ceasefire to try and be at peace," said Al-Qasem, "but a ceasefire without a long-term solution will bring a recycle of violence."

Israelis now worry about retaliatory attacks by Iran and its proxies.

"The whole north has been evacuated so my sister has been a refugee for 10 months," said Ofer.

Both she and Al-Qasem say what they really want is peace.