An Enlightened Mother: Dr Serine Mohammed Al Attar

Humanity is simply, a potential. Irrespective of geographic, ethnic and religious identities, being a human is almost a miraculous arise on its own. In the history of the world some occasions, periods or geographies are interestingly prominent as times and places where some sort of concentration happens in terms of humanization, the activity of moral values and the gathering of humanity around these values. These kinds of concentrations generally coinciding with certain periods where serious humiliation and oppression towards people rises upon the darkened sky of humanity virtually like a sun and causes a high enlightenment regarding the sheerly fading meaning and purpose of life.

Becoming the peak of persecution inflicted by Israel on Palestinian lands over 70 years the Gaza genocide corresponds to exactly that kind of time and place. It could be said that Gaza stands out as a setting where the process of becoming truly human, rising in devotion to human values, altruism, and dedication to society and humanity is experienced more intensely than by any other place on earth today.

The humanitarian spirit in Gaza was not confined to Gaza alone, like any other good thing, it spread to the whole world and caused millions of other people around the world to take a move with similar feelings and mindset. In this series, vignettes I present from the lives of my fellow doctors and healthcare workers who were deliberately targeted by Israel are filled with staggering details and examples regarding such dedication, rising in devotion to human values and generosity. Behold, one of these brilliant examples shining in the sky of humanity, reminding and teaching us the high values of mankind, is martyred doctor Serine Mohammed, mother of Rima, Fatima and Zeina.

Dr. Serine Mohammed Al Attar was born on March 27, 1984, in Gaza’s Al-Bureij refugee camp, where she was also raised. Since the moment she took her first steps, her eyes shined with wonder. When she was just a little kid, she had a great passion for reading. She would, differently from her peers, read books and newsletters advanced for her age. This passion gave her a great knowledge and a rich culture. As she read her love for the Arabic language grew. Serine’s passion for language made her a passionate fan of poetry and poets. She memorized hundreds of poems, enthusiastically participated in the discussions and poetry readings requiring high rhetoric with an extraordinary skill. During her school years, she was presented as a role model by her teachers and classmates. With this passion for learning, she became one of the most successful ten students of the country in her high school graduation year. This success was crowned with her acceptance to the Medical Faculty of Al-Azhar University.

In 2008, she graduated with high distinction from the Faculty of Medicine at Al-Quds University. After her graduation, she worked in Gaza for a year. Afterwards, she went to Jordan-Amman for professional education and worked there as a resident between the years 2010-2015. In the year of 2016,-Arab, Jordan and Palestine- she obtained board certificates in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Serine was then a highly qualified lecturer. She returned to Gaza and between 2017 and 2019, served as a lecturer in the Maternal and Child Health (Nursing Master's Program) at Al-Quds University, as well as at Islamic University and Al-Azhar University.

In addition to her educational and teaching duties, Dr. Serine served as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist at the Ministry of Health, Khan Younis, Nasser Medical Complex from 2016 to 2020, and had been serving her community as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist at UNRWA since 2020. With her passion for learning and education and never decreasing effort concerning her development in her profession during her busy shifts, Dr. Serine continued her master’s program in Public Health from 2020 until her martyrdom.

Her supervisor and colleague, Dr. Waleed Abu Hatab, stated that Dr. Serine was a highly skilled specialist in her field, contributing significantly to the protection of public health and the advancement of medical science in Gaza by successfully working in many committees, including the Maternal Mortality Committee, the Neonatal Care Committee, the National Obstetrics and Gynecology Emergency Update Committee, and the Scientific Committee of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Palestinian Medical Council.

On October 11, 2023, after being forcibly displaced from their home in Tal Al Hawa to the Al-Bureij refugee camp, Dr. Serine was tragically martyred in an Israeli airstrike along with other family members. One of her daughters survived the attack with severe injuries. As with other attacks by Israeli occupying forces, this strike occurred without any prior warning. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Dr. Serine was one of over 1,000 healthcare workers martyred since October 7. Her martyrdom was a great loss for the healthcare services in the region.

Dr. Ghada Al-Jadba, Head of the Gaza Health Program, describes Dr. Serine as one of the 'best, most wonderful, and most compassionate doctors' she has ever met. 'Her absence is deeply felt by her colleagues, patients, and family.' Dr. Serine was a dedicated mother to her three daughters: Rima, Fatima, and Zeina. She successfully balanced her professional and personal life. She was known for her generosity, love for her work, and support for her patients. To honor the memory of the late Dr. Serine Al-Attar, Al-Istiklal Hospital announced the launch of a scholarship program in her name on January 29, 2025, aimed at supporting five doctors trained in Gaza and enabling them to continue their medical education at the hospital.

“We will miss her so much. She will forever remain in our hearts and memories as the symbol of perfection.” said her supervisor Dr. Waleed Abu Hatab from the times she was working in the Hospital of the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

In the ongoing genocide carried out by Israel for 16 months, 17.881 children 808 of them being under one years old[1], more than 50.000[2] people 12.310 of them being women have been brutally murdered. Rather than babies, children and women who were deliberately targeted by this inhumane genocide, the number of our colleagues murdered in the health sector who were also deliberately targeted have exceeded 1000.[3]  The high characters, the devotions concerning their society and people and commitment of high moral values of all these martyrs features crucial lessons for all of us. The memories of these devoted people bringing out the high potential in one are just like bright beacons which truly puts meaning and value to the fading time. I pray for mercy for all the martyrs, especially Dr. Serine.

I would like to thank Dr. Ola Abu Olwan, journalist-author Mustafa Ekici and medical student Sudenaz Coskun for their contributions.