Irish-based Palestinian surgeon 'anxious and terrified' for his parents and family

Dr Ahmed Mahmoud: "The Israelis have never needed an excuse to attack us. The world seems to be watching with only one eye, not seeing how the Palestinians have suffered over the years."

An Irish-based orthopaedic surgeon whose brother-in-law was killed in Palestine last week says he is "anxious and terrified" for the safety of his parents and family still in the heavily besieged Gaza.

Dr Ahmed Mahmoud only brought his four children to Gaza during the summer to meet their grandparents for the first time in a holiday that was "not a nice experience" for his kids, due to 16-hour waits at borders and checkpoints.

The surgeon, who lives in Navan, Co. Meath, received news that a missile had hit an area near his sister's home last week, killing his 55-year-old brother-in-law and leaving his own children and wife in the rubble.

"My sister and the children were very lucky to survive but they were in the rubble for hours, not knowing if the others were alive or dead. A missile hit and the whole house collapsed on top of them. Osam Ahmed Abumarzouq was killed. He was a librarian, a lovely, intelligent man who never harmed anyone and now he is dead and my sister is left to raise her six children on her own," he said.

My 77-year-old uncle was also killed in that attack, as well as a neighbour's five-year-old daughter. Three of my sisters have evacuated their homes and have brought their children to safety at my dad's house.

"There is no internet there now so I have little communication with them. I'm largely depending on my cousin who lives in Egypt for updates. Some days we receive a short text from my wife's brother that just says 'we are still alive'. That's it. No other words."

He said his brother-in-law's two children, aged five and four, keep asking them if they are going to survive. 

"Imagine that. No child should ever know fear like that," he said. "My parents, my five sisters and four brothers are all in the south of Gaza and my wife's family is in the north, But no place is safe there.

"The Israelis have never needed an excuse to attack us. The world seems to be watching with only one eye, not seeing how the Palestinians have suffered over the years."

Dr Mahmoud has been living in Ireland for almost three years, first working as a surgeon in Our Lady's Hospital in Navan and now in Dublin's Beaumont Hospital.

"As a doctor, I'm looking at the hospitals in Gaza and their health system has already collapsed. They have no resources coming in as the only way in to Gaza has been blocked. The hospitals are being swamped with casualties and deaths every hour and many have been bombed. The Palestinians don't have any hope left. There is frustration and terror in my heart now thinking of my family."