Palestinians in the U.S. grapple with displacement, humanitarian crisis in Gaza

In New Jersey, the Palestinian-American community is heartbroken.

Folks from the Palestinian American Community Center of Clifton, New Jersey rallied this week in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

Gaza has been bombarded by Israeli strikes in response to Saturday’s attack on Israel by Hamas. Residents in Gaza are facing displacement, and lack of food, water and power as Israel controls what goes in and out of the region. Plus, with exits blocked off, the people in Gaza cannot flee.

Business owner Najwa Alsadi attended the rally. She is an American citizen born in Gaza and moved to the United States in the 1970s. She says people in her community have been receiving threats because they've spoken in support of the Palestinian people.

“They're not speaking in support of Hamas," she says. "They're basically just saying, 'Hey, Palestinians are human too.'"

She says people fear being attacked and harassed for speaking out.

“It's the United States of America. You should be able to speak your mind, especially if you're not threatening anyone," she says. "It’s opinion. Peaceful opinion.”

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Adeline Sire produced and edited this interview for broadcast with Julia Corcoran. Sire also adapted it for the web.