Live updates: Follow the latest from Israel-Gaza
Steady hands needed for surgery were often shaken by Israeli bombs falling close by, complicating the already dire conditions at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, where Dr Mohammed Hisham Naji was volunteering.
The Syrian-American anaesthesiologist describes moments in which it was impossible to hide his anxiety as ceilings trembled under the sounds of Israeli planes.
But developing a calm bedside manner became a mutual practice between patient and doctor.
“The people of Gaza, they look at us and say, 'What's wrong? That's normal, it's OK. We get used to it.' So we got our calmness and comfort from them,” Dr Naji tells The National.
Like that of many people around the world, Dr Naji's social media feed has been flooded with images of anguish in Gaza as Israel continues its war against Hamas in the densely populated enclave.
Seeing the destruction unfold online compelled him to leave the safety of his home in the Washington suburbs for what is now one of the most dangerous places to practise medicine.
A viral video of a fellow doctor in Gaza who was forced to amputate his own daughter's leg without anaesthesia served as the final push.
“I said to myself, I'm an anaesthesiologist. My job is to help people, and I'm going to take the risk and go.”
Dr Naji has volunteered his medical services in dangerous corners of the world before. An active member of the Syrian-American Medical Society, he travelled to Turkey following last year's earthquake, went on several tours of northern Syria amid the continuing civil war, and lent his services to refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon.
But none of this, Dr Naji stresses, compared to the horror he witnessed during his two weeks in Gaza. He entered the territory at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
While he considers himself to be a “shy man”, his experience in Gaza mandates a decidedly loud return to the US.
“The world needs to say enough is enough. We need to have complete ceasefire and rebuild the life of those people,” he says.
“This is not a war between two armies. This is a campaign of bombing and killing by the most powerful army in the world.”
Israel's military campaign, which began after the October 7 Hamas attack, has killed almost 30,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities.
But Dr Naji, a rare outside witness to the situation in the increasingly isolated enclave, believes that toll to be much higher, as “so many people are buried deep in the ground under the rubble”.
As a physician, however, he stresses that “the most important ones are the ones who didn't die”.
“They live with amputated leg, amputated arms, severe deformities, burns – we've seen kids that their body is burnt from top to toes,” he says.
“Those people have no medical facility to take care of them, no physical therapy, no rehabilitation.
“Who's going to take care of them?”
He becomes emotional as he describes treating one patient, who, along with her son, had been severely injured.
The mother's arm had to be amputated after it “shattered into pieces”, while her teenage son arrived with zero blood pressure and several injuries to his abdomen.
“We give him blood, we gave him plasma, all that we can, for about 45 minutes – we thought he was going to live,” he says, choking up.
“But he didn't make it. He died that night. And then his mother, when she woke up from the anaesthesia, she lost her arm. But the first thing she asked was, 'My son, how's my son?'”
Dr Naji recalls the words of a Palestinian anaesthesiologist, among those continuing to work amid the raging siege, that “he will never forget”.
“We know we're going to be killed, but we don't know when,” the Gazan doctor said.
“We are here like somebody who was sentenced to death in a prison.”
Patients moved from besieged Nasser Hospital in Gaza – video
But the doctor told Dr Naji: “We're not afraid.”
Hope and despair, acceptance and anxiety, loss and life – all are in a constant state of collision in Gaza. The through line, however, is resilience.
“What we learnt there, actually, from the people of Gaza is their resilience that is unbelievable, especially the young ones,” Dr Naji says.
“There will be frequent bombing and they will continue to talk with each other and laugh and play and walk around.”
There are moments of joy and celebration, with the locals even throwing Dr Naji a going-away party on his last night in Gaza.
The Syrian-American doctor returned home to his anxious family two weeks ago, though the experience has left him “feeling like I am still living there”.
“The impression that it gets inside you, it's hard to erase it. I think that feeling will slowly get less but I think this is the most impressive trip that I've ever made in my life.”
He has a call for fellow doctors, too.
“I would tell all physicians who can hear me: don't hesitate to go,” he says.
“We all believe, whether Muslim or Christians, your day, when it comes it comes, regardless of whether you're in your own bed or under bombing.”
Now at home, Dr Naji is grappling with his own form of survivor's guilt.
“Actually the worst feeling in my heart is when I was leaving and saying goodbye … They look at your face and they say, 'Wow, you're able to leave, we cannot leave. We're here waiting for our destiny,'” he says.
“And I wish I could stay longer. And I would not even hesitate to go back again.”
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The biog
Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown
Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
The Abu Dhabi Awards explained:
What are the awards? They honour anyone who has made a contribution to life in Abu Dhabi.
Are they open to only Emiratis? The awards are open to anyone, regardless of age or nationality, living anywhere in the world.
When do nominations close? The process concludes on December 31.
How do I nominate someone? Through the website.
When is the ceremony? The awards event will take place early next year.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Fernando Jara (jockey), Irfan Ellahi (trainer).
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,400m
Winner: Yaalail, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Fernando Jara, Helal Al Alawi.
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2.200m
Winner: Ezz Al Rawasi, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
More coverage from the Future Forum
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
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Available: Now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
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If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
