Gazan doctor holds his ground to serve patients despite Israeli bombing, displacements

Palestinian doctor, Khamis Elessi, remains dedicated to serving his people in Gaza, despite the deadly Israeli onslaught and repeated displacements within the enclave, Anadolu Agency reports.

For 15 years, Elessi, who works as a faculty member at the Faculty of Medicine at the Islamic University of Gaza and specialises in neuro-rehabilitation and algology, has been teaching courses in neurology, algology and palliative care. He opted to stay in Gaza, despite offers from around the world.

He spoke to Anadolu about why he chose to remain in Gaza and recounted his family’s multiple displacements.

Frequent displacements

Elessi pointed out that residents in Gaza have been displaced time and time again, and his family used to reside in the Tel El-Heva neighbourhood before the onslaught began but had to move because of numerous houses being bombed in the area.

READ: At least 50 killed in Israeli attacks in Khan Yunis after evacuation orders

They moved to their former residence in the Derec neighbourhood, then to Zeitoun near the Indonesian Hospital. They moved locations 11-12 times between Tel Al-Hawa and Derec.

On 7 July, while on duty at the hospital, Elessi received a call from his son informing him that Israel wanted everyone to leave the area.

He immediately rushed home and saw thousands migrating toward western Gaza.

“We quickly packed our bags and belongings and set off. We first went to my sister’s burnt house, but the area soon came under attack,” he said.

Forced to flee again, they headed toward the Al-Nasr neighbourhood.

“However, after being warned by the Israeli army there, we moved further north. We stayed there for about four days before eventually returning home,” he said.

Migration story in pictures

Elessi said he asked his children to take pictures of him and others as they were relocating.

“They took our photos throughout the entire route. When my nephew told me, ‘Uncle, you’ve turned into a traveller,’ I replied: ‘Our story is similar to the Palestinian migration story,'” he said.

“I posted these photos on social media so that people could see the journey of a Professor, who teaches at many universities and is in contact with doctors from all over the world, and what we went through,” said Elessi.

“Next to it, I placed an image of a Palestinian man carrying Jerusalem on his back, representing the expulsion the Palestinians experienced in 1948,” he said. “I did this to raise awareness about forced displacement. The next day, I was told the photo had been shared 20,000 times. I hadn’t planned for this to happen, but it did.”

He said, since the beginning of the assault, he has received offers to work for international organisations in southern Gaza or outside the enclave.

“But I decided to stay in Gaza and serve the Palestinians, just like my other colleagues. God willing, our decision is right, and we will earn blessings from it.”

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since a 7 October, 2023 attack by Hamas.

More than 38,800 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 89,400 injured, according to local health authorities.

Over nine months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on 6 May.

READ: Israel strikes kill 20 in southern Gaza following evacuation orders