Ahmed Abunada comes from the Gaza Strip, studied medicine in Germany and works in the Shifa Hospital – he despairs of the conditions there. He was now received by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Ahmed Abunada “doesn’t want to see any more injured people.” In early November, the surgeon left Shifa Hospital in the city Gaza. He was now able to leave the Gaza Strip via the Egyptian Rafah border crossing and was welcomed by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier after his arrival in Germany with other Palestinians with German passports. The 47-year-old says he simply couldn’t stand the conditions in Gaza’s largest hospital any longer.
“You can’t operate without oxygen”
In the week in which he left the hospital, the situation became unbearable, says Ahmed Abunada: “We didn’t have anyone Electricity, no water and no oxygen. But you can’t operate without oxygen.”
After the start of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas, he was repeatedly faced with difficult decisions, says the chief physician of Shifa’s vascular surgery department: should he leave “this man” or “this one.” Woman” die; no time to patch up a seriously injured child, i.e. amputate – “these are very difficult decisions for a doctor.”
From Gaza via Hesse to Gaza
Ahmed Abunada has in Germany studied, part of his family lives in Hesse. He has been living in Gaza with his wife and four children for eight years. One of them was injured before they left.
Some of his relatives are in Gaza Strip remained, including his 85-year-old mother, who had to flee on foot to the south of the Palestinian territory. He is very worried about her.
He leaves largely uncommented on the fact that the Israeli army’s attacks on the Gaza Strip are a reaction to Hamas’ major attack on Israel on October 7th, in which, according to Israeli information, around 1,200 people were killed and around 240 others were abducted.
“What is happening is no longer self-defense”
In one Said Abunada: “Israel is a state and it must adhere to international law even in war. An entire people is being starved and bombed. For me, what is happening is no longer self-defense.”
Regarding the Israeli army’s allegations that Hamas had a command center in his hospital, Ahmed Abunada only says briefly: “I worked there as a doctor, I didn’t notice anything.”
According to his own statements, the 47-year-old hopes that the international community will see “both sides” in the war and, above all, take into account the “humanitarian and human issues”.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
