“We did everything we could. The ones who stay till the end will tell our story to the world.”

Dr. Mahmoud Abu Njila/ Al-Awda Hospital

Dr. Read, 53 years old, Dr. Basel, 50 years old, was brutally murdered at their most experienced and productive period of their career along with their colleagues, family members, patients and 20 other civilians who took refuge in the hospital at a private maternity hospital which they run themselves in Gaza as a result of occupying Israeli attack at November 12, 2023. Their brother Yousef survived just because he went outside to take some fresh air during the attack. Their names took their places among the martyrs of the Gaza people who were subjected to the genocide along with healthcare, education and press workers who became the primary target of the war. In this article series the lives of health professionals who was targeted and murdered in the genocide of Gaza are being documented as a respect of the memories of the martyrs.

In Gaza, between life and death there are only a few movements and seconds Especially for the doctors and healthcare workers. Al-Mahdi Maternity Hospital was a private clinic that was in Northern Gaza at the city center. In the Mahdi family Dr. Basel Mahdi, Dr. Raed Mahdi and his wife Iman and their dentist daughter Samira who was planning to be married, Yousef who just got his master’s degree, Ahmad who was a med student and Amer, Abdurrahman, Mohamed, Mira all of whom are schoolchildren are martyred.

After the attack, Dr. Yousef Mahdi searched for the survivors of family members in the wreck in flames hopelessly but even the bodies in the wreck were unrecognizable. Dozens of family members, patients and staff were missed under the rubble. Dr. Yousef searched for his family in shock till dawn in the wreck, but no sound came from anybody. With dawn, Dr. Yousef was forced to immigrate with a group who was immigrating to the south. They faced tank fire on the road. He waved his doctor coat he wore with a stick as a white flag, but that did not stop the attack. He was not even permitted to help the injured people on the ground. He eventually got to a relatively safe zone after a five-hour walk. [1]

Dr. Basel Mahdi

Dr. Basel Mahdi was one of the three doctor brothers. He was working at the Mahdi Medical Center, which was a private maternity hospital at Al-Rimal which was a middle-class suburb at the Gaza city center.

Dr. Basel Mahdi, who was a 50-year-old gynecologist who studied in Romania had gained a noble and brave figure in the Gazan healthcare. He was always kind to his patients. He deeply inspired almost everyone who spoke to him. Dr. Basel’s support and specialty had been at a critical value for most of the critical cases in the birth and pregnancy process in Gaza. He was a loved, helpful and cheerful doctor who was committed to his job with passion. Most of the time he would serve people in need for free and generously come to his patients' help.

The communication of the Shifa Hospital which is the largest healthcare complex of Gaza, and a lot of its staff was cut off after the Israeli attacks on October 7th. A large number of doctors were evacuated to southern Gaza from the north. Only a small staff remained, Dr. Mahdi stayed with his patients till the last possible moment in north. He didn’t want to leave behind his patients even after his family was evacuated to the south and kept on working for the patients. The doctor brothers applied to the Red Cross to provide their evacuation to the south of the Gaza strip two days before the attack, but the Israeli occupation forces did not warrant the arrangements for the evacuation. Despite the calls they made to international organizations for the protection of the hospital their efforts remained inconclusive. [2]

Most of the people who took refuge in the hospital were pregnant women in their last trimester and their families. Beside the patients and their relatives there were displaced civilians who applied to hospital for a safe shelter when the attacks in the north increased. Dr. Basel and his two brothers opened their doors for them. The Mahdi family shared everything they had with the refugees and patients' relatives.

Dr. Basel Mahdi was killed with his doctor brother and other family members at the hospital full of with patients and displaced civilians in the middle of the Gaza Strip on November 12, towards the morning. Their family couldn’t even say goodbye because they were blockaded at the south to Dr. Basel who left behind his wife Dalia who was also a doctor and his four children. His death was an irreplaceable loss for his family, his patients, and the Palestinian medicine community. Some people depart from our lives, but their mark remains forever. Dr. Basel was one of these distinguished members of mankind.

Dr. Basel posted a message on his social media account hours before his martyrdom. His message which includes a touching resentment towards Arabian states, international organizations and the forces who did not form a deterrence against Zionist occupiers who massacres women and children without discrimination was just before the outstanding joint summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League held in Riyadh. Dr. Basel was saying:

“No one dies before their time; however, some will meet their end in shame without dignity, humanity or honor. Shame on you, shame on your Arabism that lacks honor. May Allah does not forgive you; may Allah never forgive you.” [3]

In the Arabic language Basel means hero. This is the story of a person who lived a life standing upright worthy of his name.

Dr. Raed Mahdi

53 years old gynecologist Raed Mahdi was the owner of Al-Mahdi maternity hospital. Dr. Raed, who is known for his good heart was a father and an elderly family member who is very fond of his family. Raed’s wife Iman Khreis, who was 45 years old, was known for her kindness, elegance, and friendliness. She dedicated herself completely to her family and her children and took good care of this. During the time of the attacks, she cooked for the people who took refuge in the hospital using every single opportunity she had. Their daughter Samira, who was a young dentist, had been preparing for their wedding with her fiancée Wesam Zant in excitement. Their son Youssef, 22 years old, was leading academic research about informatics. 20-year-old Ahmed was a third-year medical student at Al Azhar University, 19 years old Omar was in his first year of education at Al Azhar University. 18 years old Abdul Rahman had just finished high school and had been preparing for university education.  Muhammed was 16 years old and their youngest child Mira, who had an innocent and beautiful smile, was just 14. When the attacks began Raed Mahdi family came together and decided to stay together. The Mahdi brothers who were determined not to abandon their patients were martyred with all of their family members, despite the countless applications they made to the international institutions and organizations for a safe evacuation of their patients.

One of the core principles of international law is the protection of the civilian infrastructure. Hospitals and healthcare staff are one of the top institutions whose protection is guaranteed with international law. World Health Organization (WHO) in one of the declarations they made during these massacres said that: “The world cannot stay silent while these hospitals which are supposed to be a safe port are becoming a scenery of death, destruction, and despair.” .[4] The targeting of hospitals and doctors especially cannot just be interpreted as ultra violence. On the contrary, it should be seen as one of the most fundamental parameters of a planned genocide. The main act of this attacks is the action of a systematic destruction which targets the physical and the biological being of the human body regardless of sick or healthy, child or women, elderly or infant. Dr. Basel, Dr. Raed and their colleagues protected the principles of the discipline of Medicine, the human dignity and high values at the risk of their lives while facing the attacks of this gruesome genocide.

We give our condolences to their colleagues and their families. May Allah rest their souls.

I would like to thank Intern Dr. Mohammed Ghayada, and the Journalist-Author Mustafa Ekici for their contributions.

[1]Ageel G. While the world has abandoned Gaza, its doctors have done the opposite. They are our heroes. The Guardian. 2023. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/25/world-abandoned-gaza-doctors-heroes-palestinian-hospitals. Accessed: November 2024.

[2]Al Mayadeen English. Gaza hospital in ‘catastrophic’ situation, turned into 'war zone'. 2023. Available at: https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/gaza-hospital-in--catastrophic--situation--turned-into--war. Accessed: November 2024.

[3]Palestine Chronicle. A Gaza Doctor’s Last Words to Arab Leaders. 2023. Available at: https://www.palestinechronicle.com/a-gaza-doctors-last-words-to-arab-leaders/. Accessed: November 2024.

[4]Milliyet. DSÖ resmen ilan etti... Şifa Hastanesi artık bir hastane değil. 2023. Available at:

 https://www.milliyet.com.tr/dunya/dso-resmen-ilan-etti-sifa-hastanesi-artik-bir-hastane-degil-7033704. Accessed: November 2024.

Prof. Dr. Orhan Alimoğlu

İstanbul Medeniyet Üniversitesi