Author: Dr Mhoira Leng

At this time we are remembering the terrible suffering of the people of the land and the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian and Israeli hostages as well as the hundreds of thousands of displaced, the bereaved, the injured, those who struggle to find hope in the midst of such hopelessness.

This poem from Khawla Badwan speaks so searingly of the many, many years of pain and suffering. Read it with your heart.

Words can be difficult to find. I have found solidarity in sharing the words of our colleagues and friends in Gaza; people we have worked with for over a decade and even now show such courage and compassion even as they cry out to a deaf world to end the suffering.

‘Where we were displaced was in Mawasi Khan Yunis. From morning to afternoon, we died a thousand times from the very high temperature and the hot weather. We have reached the point of pouring water on our heads as we sit to endure the heat. Even the water is hot from the high temperature, and we also drink it warm. What misery we are living in, what fate still awaits us. We are crushed, sadness consumes us. To God only we raise our palms. From the misery of the Gaza Strip, we are still calling out: We have the right to live.’  Randa Said, nurse.

We are part of a humanitarian movement that seeks to advocate for the needs of our brothers and sisters and for the world to ensure humanitarian law is respected even or especially in times of war. This means the protection of all civilians, access to healthcare, protection for healthcare workers and access to food and water at the very least. I have been privileged to speak and share the words and experiences of our Gaza colleagues in many forums; from international cancer conferences, to palliative care events and solidarity events. We continue to explore how to better support those with non-communicable disease and palliative care needs in conflict zones through these forums and with PallCHASE.

A few weeks ago we came together as International and Gaza faculty to repurpose the pain and palliative care course materials for the Islamic University of Gaza. By making these low-bandwidth, asynchronous sessions with embedded case scenarios we were able to support students, who were studying in the most challenging of circumstances, continue their education. We are grateful to the Gaza Educate Medics platform and PalMed, who are supporting a board international network to continue the medical school curriculums online. The Deans of both medical schools are leading the Gaza faculty and guiding the international community. Our students had never had their clinical training induction so worked hard to complete the sessions, the exams and the case reports. They sent me a few photos of their studying conditions. What courage to continue to prepare to be the doctors so needed by their own people!

When I left Rafah in April 2023 it was with a deep sense of foreboding that the world would not stand with the red lines; that Rafah and all the hospitals, clinics, displaced population and wonderful people would be overrun. And so it happened…courageous compassionate people left to struggle in tents which now flood as the weather turns again. Who search for freedom for dignity, for the basics of life and who still find the courage to rebuild hospitals and clinics, to care for those in need, to study and complete exams…to hope.

Palestinians speak of a core value, samud or steadfastness and this is humbling to see yet they also tell us of their exhaustion.

‘We are not well. We can no longer continue, to continue as if nothing has happened. Our hearts hurt because of the weight of what they carried inside them, and our bodies are exhausted because we did not find a safe space in which to retreat. We are tired of concealment, because we are not accustomed to revealing what makes us sad. Our tears used to fall, exposing what we hid. A lot. We feel very tired, but we pretend to resist. If these days pass quickly, we will sleep for a long time. We have no energy to endure anymore. We are tired and every part of us is tired.’ Suha Suleiman Shaath, pharmacist.

When I speak to my dear Palestinian brother, Dr Khamis Elessi, the first thing he says is ‘we are still alive’…he sends his greetings and longs for the war to be over and for people to know the true nature of what they are experiencing. He concluded his message with the words. ’May the sun of hope, freedom, justice and peace shine again.’

May God protect and sustain him, his family and all our brothers and sisters in Gaza and also in Palestine, Lebanon and Israel to bring a just peace to all the land. Let us come together as one humanity to find and demonstrate a different way.

Let me end with a prayer from the Archbishop of Jerusalem, Hosam Naoum, writing last week on the anniversary of the bombing of the Ahli Christian Hospital in Gaza City.

A Prayer for Peace and Healing

Great Healer, we lament the horrific wounds and loss deep beyond comprehension. Repair and restore hearts wounded by unimaginable fear and trauma. Provide a way for healing for the multitude who are injured in body and spirit. May your people and the earth know your mercy and an end to the suffering. May your healing compassion be manifest among creation and the people of the earth. Amen.