Sun Feb 16 13:06:05 UTC 2025: ## Gaza’s Medical Students Defy Destruction, Inspired by Fallen Doctors
**Gaza City, Palestine** – The ongoing conflict in Gaza has decimated the healthcare system, yet a new generation of medical students is rising from the ashes, inspired by the sacrifice of their predecessors. Their determination is fueled by the memory of doctors like Mahmoud Abu Nujaila, whose final words, scribbled on a whiteboard before an Israeli airstrike killed him, resonated deeply: “Whoever stays until the end will tell the story. We did what we could – remember us.”
Abu Nujaila’s defiance, and the deaths of colleagues Dr. Ahmad Al Sahar and Dr. Ziad Al-Tatari, are just a fraction of the devastating losses suffered by Gaza’s medical community. Major hospitals like Al-Shifa, Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, and Al-Quds have been destroyed or rendered unusable. Over 1,000 medical workers have been killed, and more than 300 forcibly disappeared, highlighting the deliberate targeting of healthcare professionals. Prominent surgeons like Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh were tortured to death, while others, including Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, head of Kamal Adwan Hospital, remain in Israeli captivity, subjected to torture and abuse.
Despite the horrors witnessed – the destruction of hospitals, the murder of colleagues, and the forced disappearances of friends – a determined group of medical students, including the author of this article, refuse to be deterred. They cite the bravery of doctors like Abu Safia, Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta, and Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya as inspiration. The author’s own sister, a pediatrician working in one of the few remaining functional hospitals, embodies this unwavering commitment.
Even facing the threat of evacuation orders and bombardment, the author, pursuing a neurosurgery degree, remained in Gaza to continue their studies, demonstrating the profound sense of obligation felt by these young people. In December, 80 medical students from Al-Azhar University graduated, a testament to their resilience. The author, scheduled to graduate in 2028, vows to continue their studies, dedicating their future career to their homeland and to the memory of those lost. They are not alone; hundreds of other medical students share this unwavering commitment to rebuilding Gaza’s healthcare system.
First Piper 