Amid turmoil back home, Palestinian girls stranded in U.S. after attending Oscars

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Two Palestinian girls, one the star of an Oscar-nominated documentary, say they cannot return home from their trip to the Academy Awards because their refugee camp outside Bethlehem is under siege by the Israeli army.

Sanabel Al-Fararja, 15, and Kayan Al-Saify, 16, have been stranded in San Francisco for almost three weeks, staying with a family friend.

"My little sister is 2 years old. When I call home she says, 'Sanabel, there is shooting. I'm afraid. I want you,"' Al-Fararja said. "Even though I'm curious to see what it's like here and have some fun, it's very hard because I'm always thinking about home. My body is here, but my mind and my heart are in Palestine."