A Glodwick woman has said she ‘can’t stop crying’ as her fiance, who is still stuck in Gaza, may need to have his leg amputated if he can’t get out.

Afshan Abubakar, who is Islamically married to Hani Abualqaraya, has set up a GoFundMe campaign in a last-ditch attempt to get her husband help from a travel agency.

Afshan has called the fundraiser her ‘last hope’ to save her husband.

Last week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would step in after MP Debbie Abrahams brought Hani’s case to the House of Commons.

Hani was attacked by thieves in Gaza two weeks ago, leaving him with stitches in his head and a broken left leg.

Now, according to Afshan, Hani, whose visa to enter the UK was approved last year, has been told his leg may need to be amputated as he does not have access to proper medical care.

While Hani has been approved for evacuation by the UK Foreign Office, he is unable to leave until Israel and Egypt put his name on a cleared list for official evacuation.

Afshan has set up a Change.org petition urging governments to expedite his exit using the Rafah border crossing.

Ms Abrahams has raised Hani’s case with the Israeli Embassy directly, urging them to allow him urgent medical assistance.

The MP is also understood to be meeting Foreign Minister Lord Ahmad next week to raise Hani’s case again directly.

This is just the latest development in an emotional case The Oldham Times has been covering since October.

The Oldham Times: Afshan Abubakar, holding photos of Hani Afshan Abubakar, holding photos of Hani (Image: Jack Fifield, Newsquest)

Afshan, a mum of three, met her fiance through volunteer work, helping to teach English to children at the now-destroyed Al Fakhoora school in Gaza City, using Telegram and Zoom.

While Afshan has not visited Gaza herself, she met Hani online through the volunteer work, before finally meeting him in person in Egypt last year, where they got engaged.

While Afshan and Hani consider themselves Islamically married, their marriage is not recognised by the UK government, meaning they must apply for Hani’s visa as a fiance, rather than as a spouse.

The couple submitted their now-approved visa application for Hani to join his fiance on September 20, 2023 – more than two weeks before the October 7 Hamas terror attack which sparked the current outbreak of war in the region.

More than 27,000 people have been killed and 66,000 wounded by Israel’s offensive in Gaza, the Hamas-controlled territory’s health ministry said as of February 1.

In a ruling issued last week, the International Court of Justice stopped short of ordering a ceasefire in Gaza following an action brought by South Africa, but demanded Israel try to contain death and damage.