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Israel Hayom

A Palestinian doctor living in Ukraine was forced to flee with his family after clashes with Russian troops broke out in his city, and the man received assistance from a Chabad Jewish community during his journey.

The doctor, identified as Yaaqoub, lived with his family in Irpin’ – a northern suburb near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv – when Russian tanks attempted to breach the city.

“There were several battles in Irpin’, and during this whole time we were at home and scared to get out, we kept going back and forth to the shelters, sometimes we had to stay home,” Yaaqoub told i24NEWS.

The family decided to leave the city after receiving word from the family of Yaaqoub’s wife on a safer area in the country – evacuating their home and departing for the destination.

“It was an adventure because we really did not know what to expect, to encounter in this journey: I had my wife and kids in the car and we drove all the way here – there were gunshot sounds, I did not dare to drive fast,” the doctor said, adding that they crossed five military checkpoints on the drive.

He said that he was welcomed by Ukraine’s Jewish Chabad community along the way, explaining that “They helped us, sheltered us and welcomed us in a very generous manner: proposed food and drinks, and offered to provide possible utilities.”

“This wave of solidarity is very visible during wartime. There is no difference, all residents are treated the same. Whether they are Arabs or not, Ukrainians, or from any other region, everyone is sticking together,” the man told i24NEWS.

“People are unified in this situation because they need each other’s help to survive.”

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