ما يبقى في الوادي غير حجارتو
'There is nothing left in the valley but unshakable stones'
This Arabic idiom, mentioned in Algerian writer Tahar Wattar's book "Love and Death", symbolizes the resistance of the Algerian people fighting against colonial powers. The idiom is used to express the virtue of not to give up in the face of difficulties, to struggle, and to express that even if something disappears, its essence and value are permanent. In this article the wonderful story of Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh who is from those unshakable stones in the valley, Gaza who never bowed to the invader and as such one of the symbols of the unyielding nature of his people, is told.
Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh was killed by severe torture in Ofer Prison, where he was detained by Israel, on April 19, 2024.
Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh was born in 1974 in Jabalia, Gaza Strip. Dr. Al-Bursh, an eminent Palestinian orthopedic surgeon, was subjected to severe torture and killed by Israel.
Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh who is a talented surgeon whose life is full of achievements completed his medical education at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Iasi, Romania. He specialized in Orthopedics and Traumatology in Jordan and Palestine and received training on complicated fracture surgery in London. He is also a member of the Jordanian Board of Orthopedic Surgery and the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) and honorary chairman of the Orthopedic Committee of the Palestine Medical Council. In addition to his accomplishments in the field of medicine, Dr. Al-Bursh also has achievements in different fields of academia. Dr. Al-Bursh, who said in an interview that his aspiration was to study law, holds a master’s degree in political science from Al-Azhar University in Gaza. His achievements are a testament to his determination to ensure medical excellence in the society in which he lives in. Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh, Head of Orthopedics and Traumatology Department at Shifa Hospital in Gaza is the first surgeon who successfully performed the prosthesis operation in Gaza in 2010. He also pioneered the limb reconstruction unit opened after Israel's attacks on Gaza in 2014. In addition to his well-known roles, Dr. Al-Bursh is also a dedicated instructor and has conveyed his knowledge and experience in the field of orthopedics to his students at the Faculty of Medicine of the Islamic University of Gaza. He also served as medical advisor to the Palestine national football team.
Dr. Adnan was married and had six children. Due to Israeli attacks in November 2023, he and his nephew were trapped in Shifa Hospital for 10 days. Israeli forces then asked him to go south but he refused and went north to the Indonesian Hospital to treat the wounded. Dr. Adnan who was injured in Israel's attack on Indonesia Hospital went to Al-Awda Hospital. He was arrested by the Israeli army along with 10 healthcare workers at Al-Awda Hospital in December 2023. 4 months later Dr. Adnan's death while in custody at Ofer Prison was confirmed by Israel. The Palestinian doctor, who was tortured in one of the Israeli prisons after being detained for more than four months, was murdered on April 19, 2024, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Association, but Israel did not officially announce his death until May 2. According to the Committee on Relations with Palestinian Prisoners and the Palestinian Prisoners Association, this is an 'assassination'. His body was detained in Ofer Prison for a long time. Many of the prisoners released from Israeli prisons reported that the doctor was subjected to torture, starvation and sleep deprivation during detention. His body was not handed over to his family by Israel and no statement was made about the cause of death. The situation of the other healthcare workers detained with him remains unclear.
Israel has not recognized any humane and conscientious rules in the Palestinian territories it occupies, especially in Gaza in recent months. It has systematized attacks against hospitals, doctors and ambulances which is clearly a crime in all conflict and war law acquis. Israel is committing a crime by clearly violating International Law by these attacks. Article 8/e of Additional Protocol I to the 1949 Geneva Conventions strictly prohibits attacks on healthcare workers and infrastructure in times of war and conflict. Israel violates the clear provisions regarding the protection of health facilities and personnel in the conflict zone, set forth by both the Geneva Conventions and the rules of the international law of armed conflict. According to International Human Law, not only healthcare facilities and their employees, but also patients and healthcare transportation vehicles are within the scope of protection. However, as clearly seen in the Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh case, the Israeli occupation forces specifically targeted hospitals, doctors and healthcare infrastructure. As a matter of fact, Dr. Adnan and his friends were detained by threats and force, their hospitals were destroyed, and they were murdered under heavy torture.
“We die with our heads held high, but we do not bow down. "There is nothing left in the valley except unshakable stones, and we are those stones." Dr. Al-Bursh's last post on social media.
Dr. Adnan's intellectual depth extends beyond his professional pursuits; he was also an avid reader with a rich cultural depth. The doctor, who had a very competent knowledge in a wide range of subjects from politics to history, from literature to science, had a pleasant morning ritual that he practiced every day amid his busy schedule: a leisurely walk towards the Gaza seashore, where he would immerse himself in the scenery and revitalize his spirit before starting his duties at the hospital. Dr. Adnan Al Bursh's humanitarian nature is easily understood from the surgeries he performs on his poor patients without asking for anything in return.
Dr. Adnan is an example of unwavering endurance and dedication amidst the relentless turmoil of war. Despite unimaginable personal losses, including the destruction of his own home by Israel and the tragic losses of his brothers and nephews, he never hesitated to provide medical assistance at Shifa Hospital with unwavering professional commitment. This situation continued uninterruptedly until Israeli soldiers violated the privilege of the hospital, patients and healthcare workers.
I attended The 7th Conference of Surgery in Palestine with Dr. Adnan in June 2023. At that congress, Dr. Adnan presented an important paper on hip fractures in multicentric elderly people in Palestine.
Amid the chaos, Dr. Adnan's voice echoed an unshakable determination in an interview with Al Jazeera: "We left the (Shifa) hospital in great pain but thank Allah we fulfilled our duty. I swear we fulfilled our duty, and the reward belongs to Allah." He moved to the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, where he continued to care for the wounded with the same courage, despite the threats of looming air strikes. Until he was injured in one of the air strikes targeting the hospital area.
After moving to Al-Awda Hospital, the last place he served, the invaders surrounded the hospital building. Under the threat of invaders entering the hospital and demolishing the building, healthcare workers and Dr. Al Bursh was asked to leave the building immediately. To protect the hospital and the civilians, patients and injured inside, Dr. Al Bursh complied with their demands. Later, he, along with many doctors, was arrested by the invaders. According to his wife's statement, the invaders that day shouted; "Adnan Al-Bursh, come down! Either come downstairs or we'll bring the hospital down on you." And she continues: “Thinking about the patients in the hospital, the hospital and the people in it, he did not want to be the reason for any harm to them, so he bravely went down and went, went and went… But thank Allah. Thank Allah, he prevailed. Praise be to God, he was martyred with honor and dignity.”
In another interview by saying ‘They are using internationally banned weapons that we have never seen before. We are calling out to all human rights organizations, all international organizations, the whole world. We don't want anything for ourselves, we just want to protect our children, that's all.’ Dr. Adnan showed his relentless commitment to his people.
Eyewitnesses said that after being taken into custody, Dr. Al Bursh was brought back to Al Awda Hospital unconscious, in terrible humiliation, with intense bleeding after torture. The invaders forced Al Bursh to kneel with his hands raised above his head; he was interrogated in this condition, humiliated in a way that no one can tolerate even for a short time. Despite the pain, Dr. Al Bursh had to endure this situation for hours before he was taken to Negv Prison.
Dr. Al-Bursh's time in captivity began in Negv Prison, where he was interrogated every two hours. He was later transferred to Nafha Prison and eventually transferred to Ofer Prison.
Witnesses who saw Dr. Al-Bursh in the interrogation cells reported that he was subjected to severe torture, including electric shock, brutal violence and blows to the face. He remained resilient in the face of brutal pressure and violence, stating that they could do whatever they wanted, but he would not betray his principles.
Doctor Adnan was brutally murdered by the most barbaric army of the century. We do not know how he surrendered his pure soul or what he experienced in the last minutes of his life. However, Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh, in his own words, 'was martyred without bowing down or surrendering to the invader, with his head held high and with dignity. He has become not only a symbol of the rightful resistance of the people of Gaza, but also one of the symbolic figures of the medical profession and human dignity. And, in his own words, he has taken his place among the 'unshakable stones of the valley'.
I would like to thank Mohammad Al-Hajjar for his contributions to the article.
*Prof. Dr. Orhan Alimoğlu
Istanbul Medeniyet University
