♪ this is "nightline." >> tonight, trapped in gaza. as the war rages on, almost 20,000 are dead. the state department saying many americans are still trapped, unable to get to safety with conditions worsening. their relatives back home also desperate to see their loved ones again. >> every day they are not evacuated, their lives are exponentially more at risk. >> byron: an emotional reunion

and the trauma they still carry. >> you helped bury your own family? >> yes. >> in mass graves? >> yeah. >> byron: plus iceland erupts. a volcano on the island country spewing lava and triggering hundreds of small earthquakes. i finally got a job, king of atlantis. >> byron: and "aquaman" coming to life again in the sequel to the billion-dollar blockbuster. >> you can build bridges. >> byron: jason momoa saying he infused his upbringing into the sto story. lighting up social media with his grueling workouts. patrick wilson spilling secrets over tea. >> tea-time cheers, everybody. >> i think he's up there, everybody. ah mornings! cough? congestion? i'm feeling better. all in one and done with new mucinex kickstart. headache? better now. new mucinex kickstart gives all-in-one and done relief

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of the people. >> we hope to end this situation in the near, near, near time. >> reporter: these are the voices of americans trying to escape gaza. tonight, we're with the families here at home as they try to get their loved ones out. they say it's a race against the clock. as the death toll of the israel/hamas war in gaza reaches nearly 20,000, the struggle to survive intensifies daily. desperate palestinians crowding aid trucks coming through the southern gaza border this weekend. caught in the middle of a large-scale israeli air and ground offensive, an estimated 300 americans, permanent residents, and their immediate family members urgently trying to make it out alive and come back home. >> for them, every day is a year. every day the situation changes, and it's only for the worse. >> reporter: family members back in the u.s. yilike yasmine say

every passing minute is of the essence. >> every day they are not evacuated, their lives are exponentially more at risk. >> reporter: her cousins, 29-year-old hachem and 18-year-old burak, born in chicago, among those americans trapped in the war zone. >> they were supposed to be here with me in my home right now. and instead, they are fleeing for their lives every single day. >> reporter: the brothers sin here during this family visit in gaza last year. >> i'm worried that i'm going to wake up one day and hear the news that my cousins have been killed. their service isn't that great, so mostly it's just photos, texts, voice messages. i love when he sprinkles in a voice message, because i get to hear their voice. >> reporter: she hears about nightmares through voice memos like this sent from a shelter in southern gaza, she says.

>> hi, yasmine. this is day 73 of the war in gaza. living in this situation is very, very bad. we left our houses, and now we are living 30 people in two bedrooms and one bath. >> reporter: food and water have almost run out. >> as far as what we eat every day, this is some white cheese and some beans, and maybe we got some tomatoes. that's all our food all day. we eat this every single day. >> reporter: yasmine is one of two families suing the u.s. government for its failure to protect american citizens trapped in gaza. >> i'm waiting for a response from the u.s. government to see, will the united states act to protect american lives abroad? or will it leave its citizens to fend for their own lives? if you are an american, the united states has a duty to protect you.

and the united states is fully failing that duty as it applies to palestinian americans. >> reporter: the state department declined to comment on pending litigation. >> the united states, i think, the priorities, of course, are first to its citizens. both those that are held hostage and what we can only imagine is an extraordinarily horrible situation. now all these american citizens who are trapped in this spiraling humanitarian crisis. >> reporter: the war enters its 11th week after hamas attacked israel on october 7th, killing 1,200 and taking more than 200 civilian hostages, prompting a retaliation from israel. >> israel at war, triggered by the horrific terror attack from hamas. >> all-out war has broken out in the middle east. >> reporter: the rafah crossing, gaza's shared border with egypt, is the only option for those trying to escape. but in order to leave, individuals must be put on an

evacuee list. >> it does seem to be these lists come out periodically posted on facebook. if you're on the list as an american, they should go and essentially assemble in the south to await to be let through the gate. that has caused a lot of frustration, i believe, with the people that are stuck there. >> reporter: a u.s. state department spokesperson telling abc news the u.s. has already assisted over 1,300 u.s. citizens, legal permanent residents, and family members, and they remain focused on assisting u.s. citizens in need. gaza's hamas-run health ministry estimates that in addition to the nearly 20,000 dead, more than 52,000 are injured. according to the united nations, more than 90% of gaza's 2.3 million people have been forced to flee their homes. back in the states, ralia knows

her family is one of the lucky ones. >> every exit we pass, we're getting closer and closer. all of these weeks that i had been trying to get him out, reaching out to everybody, and the frustration and the anxiety. >> reporter: after 60 days of trying to evacuate her elderly father, she and her family are heading to the san diego airport to be reunited. >> i just held my breath every single day, waiting for him to get on the list to be able to leave. >> reporter: posters and flowers in hand, the family eagerly waiting for him. >> i want to see his face. i want to see him come down. right here. >> reporter: after an agonizing wait -- >> it's him! >> reporter: the moment they feared would never come. the 76-year-old palestinian american surrounded by his wife, children, and grandkids here in the country that he calls home.

the emotional airport reunion followed by family celebration. >> very good food. very good food. >> thank you. >> reporter: basil came to the u.s. in the '70s. he and his brothers worked on importing props from the middle east for movies. >> i lived here 52 years. that is why i come back here. all my kids, here. my girls, my boys. the business is still here. everything, here. >> reporter: though even in this happy moment the reality of what he saw haunts him. what were the first days like of the war? >> terrible. we're still home. we can't go outside. >> i'm watching here and seeing images that were horrific. when he told me, "i need to get out," that's when i knew.

>> reporter: have you lost anyone? >> i lost 18 people in one day. in two apartment buildings. we find hand for kid, leg for another kid. >> reporter: you helped bury your own family? >> yes. >> reporter: in mass graves? >> yeah. >> reporter: in all, he says he has lost 59 family members. >> the only time he would go out is to bury family. >> yes. >> reporter: what goes through your mind when you hear your dad tell these stories? >> these are just innocent civilians. that's what hurts the most. they went to bed scared. and they were bombed. >> reporter: for the family, getting basil out is only half the battle. >> i'm happy that my dad's here. that he got out. but i think of my cousins. my uncles, my aunts that are trying to get out. there is no place safe in gaza.

>> reporter: do you fear you might not see them again? >> i do. >> reporter: gaza is now the deadliest war zone in the world for civilians, according to the international rescue committee. the nasser hospital, the last operational medical facility hit multiple times by israeli fire and shells. the idf claims they're looking for hamas terrorists. this comes as calls for a cease-fire grow around the world. >> so the fact of the matter is, quite simply, the violence must stop. >> reporter: the united nations voting overwhelmingly for a cease-fire. the israeli president saying today -- >> israel is ready for another humanitarian pause and additional humanitarian aid. >> reporter: though israeli officials have said heavy fighting will continue for the next few weeks. secretary lloyd austin in israel this week saying the u.s. support for israel is unshakeable, adding -- >> protecting palestinian civilians in gaza is both a moral duty and a strategic

imperative. >> reporter: meanwhile, families like yasmine's cling on to hope of their loved ones' return. >> i wish a normal life for them. i don't wish anything spectacular. i wish that i could wish for the spectacular for them. am i going to be killed in an air strike? am i going to be kidnapped? am i going to be shot in the street? those are not normal things, but those are all everyday considerations for them. >> byron: our thanks to zohreen. when we come back, "aquaman" star jason momoa talks about his mother's strength and how it informs his own. ugh, this guy again... pops! ay son! ya got a little somethin' on yuh face. needed a quick shave. quick shave? respect the process! it ain't my dad's razor, dad, it's from gillettelabs. gillette...labs? gillette's ultimate shaving experience.

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♪ >> byron: he made a splash in the original film "aquaman" which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide. now jason momoa is back for the latest sequel in the franchise. abc's maggie rulli has more. >> reporter: in the shadow of tower bridge -- >> cool, killer bridge. i don't know if you've seen my mov movie, but ours is way bigger. >> reporter: i'm with jason momoa, a tower of a man. >> rock it like a queen. >> i like that, shoulders back. >> very regal. >> reporter: he's showing me how aquaman, the character that launched him into superstardom,

might look on the river thames. a brisk day in london, what a time for aquaman to go on the water. the water warrior completely in his element. of all the fight scenes you've done and all the weapons you've used, how does the trident rank? >> i love these, yeah. pretty cool. >> reporter: jason wields it like only he can in "aquaman and the lost kingdom," the latest installment of the blockbuster franchise. >> sure can build bridges. >> reporter: jason, born in hawaii, started acting after landing the leading role on "baywatch: hawaii." from his role guarding the beach to now protecting the sea, he's no stranger to embodying royalty. known for his role in the hit series "game of thrones" as chieftain drogo, he's a reigning king of instagram, for years entertaining over 17 million

followers, showing off his grueling workouts. his ace ax-throwing skills. and some muddy moments. now he's back as the reluctant ruler of atlantis, this time teaming up with former nemesis and half-brother. >> little brother, high five. >> do not call me brother. >> reporter: played by patrick wilson of "conjuring" fame. >> whatever you believe, this man is not your father. >> reporter: back on land, the three of us meet up for a spot of tea. >> here you go, ready? there you go. >> thanks, dude. >> teatime cheers, everyone. >> reporter: and spilling on all things aquaman. what's the relationship like off-jean? are you guys this close? >> chemistry is a funny thing. i think the relationship on screen has to come from two people that want to be there and want to have a good time. this guy leads with his heart. when you see the movie and it's just such an expression of him that you feel like you want to take that energy.

>> reporter: what was it like to be on the same side in this movie? >> it's great. i think deep down inside, arthur really wanted to have a mother, he wanted things to be good. we come together to do something positive. >> i think once you understand the cause of what they're both fighting for, you see that it really is just an extension of the first film. >> reporter: much of the cast saying, they can't imagine aquaman being anyone else except you, jason momoa. having worked alongside him in two movies, could you imagine anyone else in the role? >> no, no. >> reporter: what does jason bring to this role that you think is so unique? >> i think he had a lot of ideas for this film. he's got a writing credit on the film. he knew the story that he wanted to tell. >> reporter: jason pouring parts of himself into the dc superhero, from being raised by divorced parents to now becoming a father himself, pulling inspiration from his personal life to redefine the character. something i'm excited to see in the next "aquaman" is your role as a father in the movie. i know you're a dad in real

life. so how did you bring the aspect of being a dad to the movie? especially when it feels like aquaman's family is under threat? i can imagine you as a protective father. >> yeah. i'm extremely strict. i'm very loving in a certain way, but then i'm extremely strict. that's the one thing i wanted to do. you play this character for so long, you're like, i would love to see him this way. he's this rough drunk, not afraid of punching superman in the face, very hard and alone. then you see him soften up. the thing that i really wanted to do in this movie, which i don't care to talk about that much, because i was raised by a single mother. really taking a moment to go, that's the superheroes. my mom worked three jobs, raised me on her own. i wanted to make that really clear in the film. just honoring single parents. >> i'm a husband and a father. and i wouldn't have it any other way. >> reporter: and since his

childhood days on hawaii's white sand beaches, jason has been a fierce advocate for environmental conservation. >> my whole life, i've wanted to be a marine biologist. that didn't work out. >> that's not true, it as little bit. >> doesn't mean my passion isn't there. anyways. my passion with the environment now, it's cool because i use my platform to help all different types of causes. >> reporter: a superhero on screen, but in our world of mere motels, he's a champion for change as a designated advocate for the united nations environmental program. >> because of our melting of the ice cap, you see the effects of what's going to get expedited. all the storms, how the ocean's going to rise. you get a glimpse of [ bleep ] we need to fix, without being preachy, but doing it, crafting it in the right way. >> if one can go kid, so what happens if the ice caps melt? you can have a kernel of a cause

for someone to walk away with something, i think we've succeeded. >> byron: our thanks to maggie. when we come back, an iceland volcano sending lava into the nice sky. my active psoriatic arthritis can make me feel like i'm losing my rhythm. with skyrizi to treat my skin and joints, i'm getting into my groove. ♪(uplifting music)♪ along with significantly clearer skin... skyrizi helps me move with less joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue. and is just 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. skyrizi attaches to and reduces a source of excess inflammation that can lead to skin and joint symptoms. with skyrizi 90% clearer skin and less joint pain are possible. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms,

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♪ >> byron: finally tonight, an eruption on the island of iceland. dramatic video shows moton lava spewing from the ground, lighting up the night sky, as possible toxic gas moves over iceland's capital city of

reykjavik. more than 300 earthquakes have been recorded since the eruption late last night. the resulting fissure stretching for roughly 2 1/2 miles. officials say the eruption doesn't present a threat to life. residents are preparing themselves for the unknown. and that's "nightline" for this evening. thanks for the company, america. good night.