Sun Mar 02 11:50:49 UTC 2025: ## Gaza Patients’ Plight: A Year of War, Illness, and Displacement at Ramallah’s Retno Hotel
**Ramallah, Occupied West Bank** – For over 16 months, the Retno Hotel in Ramallah has served as a refuge, not for tourists, but for Palestinian patients from Gaza seeking medical treatment unavailable in their war-torn homeland. The October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli bombardment of Gaza transformed this haven into a microcosm of the conflict’s devastating impact.
Initially a place of respite for patients battling cancer, heart conditions, and other ailments, the hotel became a hub of anxiety and grief as communication lines with Gaza were severed. Guests, including 72-year-old civil engineer Ahmed Ayyash and his wife Maha, watched helplessly as news of family deaths and home destruction flooded in. The hotel owner, Nawaf Hamed, described a chilling shift: joyful evenings filled with music replaced by the quiet sobs of those mourning lost loved ones.
The war’s impact extended beyond emotional trauma. Permit arrangements for patients collapsed, leaving many stranded in the West Bank. The Retno, once a cheerful space, now houses 33 adult and 14 child patients, along with 37 family members. Seven patients have died since the war began, their final days marked by both illness and the crushing weight of loss.
Shadia Abu Mrahil, a leukaemia patient, poignantly summarized the situation: “What the war has done to my family, to my home, to my Gaza, kills me more every day than the cancer ever will.” Her son, Karam, echoes her despair, having lost seventeen extended family members. Their home was destroyed, leaving them grappling with illness, displacement, and the uncertain future.
The hotel itself is struggling financially. While the Palestinian Authority covers accommodation costs, erratic payments and the decline in tourism have left the Retno on the brink. Nawaf, the hotel owner, struggles to meet daily expenses and pay his staff.
Many patients, their Gaza IDs preventing easy movement, feel trapped in Ramallah. They are unable to return home, uncertain about access to ongoing medical care, and separated from their remaining family. Mohammed al-Assali, who lost his entire family in the conflict, embodies the profound loss experienced by many. His only hope is to rebuild his life. Others like Ahmed, despite the devastation, remain determined to return to Gaza and contribute to its reconstruction.
The Retno Hotel serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of the ongoing conflict, highlighting the desperate need for sustained medical care and a path towards resettlement for those displaced and suffering.
First Piper 