GAZA, (PIC)
In the image, Hossam Abu Safiya, the compassionate doctor, is seen walking amidst the rubble of Kamal Adwan Hospital, which was burned down by the Israeli war machine. Abu Safiya’s path resembles a “way of suffering,” as he has endured for nearly a year and a half against extermination, shielded only by his white cloth armor. He lost his son, and has faced hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Abu Safiya’s voice has grown hoarse from repeatedly calling out to the world, poised to celebrate “the birth of Christ,” urging them to save the only hospital in northern Gaza. He might have been heard had he called out to the living, but there is neither shame nor life in those hearing the call.
The photo, taken by photographer Mohannad Al-Muqayed, spread like wildfire on social media platforms. Many users likened the image to Gaza’s situation for over a year amidst the Israeli extermination war, with one commenter saying, “Alone… like Gaza.”
Commenting on Dr. Abu Safiya’s confrontation with the occupation tanks, users noted, “This is how the men of Gaza are. They assassinated his son, injured him, bombed his hospital, and burned it down, yet he did not leave the hospital and returned to save the sick and wounded. Here he is in the final scene before his arrest, armed with his white coat, heading towards an armored tank equipped with the latest weapons of destruction and killing. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya is another mountain of steadfastness in Gaza.”
Mohammed Jamil wrote, “How great is Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya! His mission is not limited to healing physical wounds; here we see him tending to deep emotional wounds as he comforts Dr. Hani Badran, who lost 17 family members after their house was bombed near Kamal Adwan Hospital.”
Dr. Muneer Al-Bursh, General Director of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, commented on the image of Dr. Abu Safiya, “In this photo, Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya succinctly summarizes our situation: a doctor providing humanitarian medical services to his people, armed only with his medical coat, facing the machine of killing, destruction, and occupation.”
A broadcaster at Al Jazeera tweeted, “This is how the men of Gaza are. They assassinated his son, injured him, bombed his hospital, and burned it down, yet he did not leave the hospital and returned to save the sick and wounded. Here he is in the final scene before his arrest, armed with his white coat, heading towards an armored tank equipped with the latest weapons of destruction and killing. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya is another mountain of steadfastness in Gaza.”
Meanwhile, the famous cartoonist Mahmoud Abbas shared an expressive drawing, commenting, “How alone you were.”
Baraa questioned, “What is your courage, Dr. Hossam? Is it a mountainous kind, or a celestial courage that rises within you, while for others it is lacking? We await your freedom to tell us about it in detail, brave doctor. Freedom to you and all the prisoners of the homeland.”
Mohammed, the nephew of Dr. Abu Safiya, wrote about how his uncle chose to stand firm in his national identity, defend his cause, and remain by the side of his patients, despite being able to leave Gaza from the very start of the war, as he holds another nationality.
Iyad Al-Dulaimi wrote, “We are ashamed of you; we feel the insignificance of our existence in this life. We feel sad for our condition, not yours, for you remain while we are fleeting. You are the steadfast one, and we all fade away. Your sun will not set, and your name is etched in the wall of a memory of a homeland that will live long… and will soon be liberated.”
Others expressed their regret for a world that praised Dr. Abu Safiya’s steadfastness but then left him alone to face his fate, failing to provide him protection, in a display of complicity and negligence towards the Israeli occupation.
Bloggers and influencers around the world have called for a campaign on social media to highlight the situation of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and his medical team, stating, “If anyone cares about the life of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, they should take real steps to support him through legal and media action to pressure for his release and ensure his safety, knowing that he holds Russian citizenship.” One person concluded their tweet by writing, “Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya’s life is in real danger.”
On Friday, the occupation army stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital, setting it on fire and rendering it completely out of service. They did not stop there; they also detained more than 350 people inside, including 180 medical staff and 75 injured patients and their companions, and took them to an unknown location, according to a statement from the Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza.
Later, the occupation forces released about 400 individuals, including medical personnel they had detained during the hospital raid, while keeping the hospital director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, in custody without disclosing any information about him.
The released individuals provided testimonies about the mistreatment and beatings they endured inside the hospital, including being kept for hours on the cold ground.
For the 86th consecutive day, northern Gaza is suffering under an Israeli siege and starvation, amid intense aerial and artillery bombardment, completely isolating the northern governorate from Gaza.
With U.S. support, the Israeli occupation has been conducting a genocidal war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, resulting in over 153,000 Palestinian martyrs and injured, most of whom are children and women, along with more than 11,000 missing persons, amidst massive destruction and famine that has claimed the lives of dozens of children and the elderly.
