US doctor’s outlook on life changed after working in Gaza

An American doctor of Pakistani origin has said that his outlook on life was transformed by the horrors he witnessed after working in the Gaza Strip. Talal Ali Khan spent time in the enclave during the ongoing Israeli genocide. On his return to the US, he has noticed that life’s worries and pressures no longer carry any weight for him after seeing what the Palestinians are facing.

Dr Khan is a consultant nephrologist and member of the medical emergency team of the Palestinian American Medical Association. He is also an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma, and treated Palestinian patients in Gaza hospitals between 16 July and 7 August.

Khan explained that he went to Gaza under the UN umbrella to provide medical services to Palestinian patients living in extremely dire conditions.

“Doctors and healthcare workers in Gaza face immense risks amid indiscriminate Israeli attacks,” he explained. “Gaza is a place where healthcare workers are targeted deliberately, and many have been attacked by Israeli forces multiple times.”

Even doctors like himself working under the UN, he pointed out, face great danger throughout their stay in the region, with bombs falling everywhere unpredictably. On Tuesday, Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported that the Israeli army has killed 1,000 doctors and nurses in the enclave since the onset of the genocide, and destroyed dozens of hospitals.

“For me, Gaza symbolises resilience and determination, and its Palestinian residents are far more remarkable than I could have imagined,” said Khan. “My perspective on life changed after returning from Gaza. Life’s challenges and worries no longer hold any significance after witnessing the disasters and hardships faced by Gaza’s residents.”

He recounted an emotional moment when a patient expressed gratitude by offering him a cup of tea, despite having little to give. “These people have nothing,” he said, “yet their hearts are so generous.”

The Israeli army, added the doctor, deliberately targets schools, mosques and libraries. “The destruction I witnessed in Gaza is unparalleled and unlike anywhere else.” He saw the Israeli army targeting schools about 16 times in August alone, resulting in many killings because they were being used as refuges by displaced people. “Moreover, I didn’t see a single mosque left intact in Gaza.”

Nevertheless, said Dr Khan, children were in tents attending makeshift schools where women were teaching the Qur’an and providing basic education. “It was profoundly inspiring to see these people remain steadfast and determined to move forward and continue living.”

READ: Hamas and Fatah agree on joint committee for post-genocide Gaza administration