Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) mourns the tragic loss of our colleagues who have been killed since the escalation of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
We are outraged that many of these individuals were killed while providing care for patients or sheltering with their families. We remain deeply concerned for the safety of all our staff members and patients living under fire and siege.
Nowhere in Gaza is safe. Israeli forces have repeatedly attacked health workers and medical facilities, making it nearly impossible for us to continue to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance.
MSF is calling for an end to attacks on health workers and health facilities. We continue to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Mohammed Al Ahel was at his home in Al Shati refugee camp on 6 November when the area was bombed and his building collapsed, reportedly killing dozens of people, including Mohammed and several members of his family. He was a laboratory technician and had been working with MSF for two years.
Alaa Al Shawa was a volunteer nurse supporting MSF teams at Al-Shifa Hospital. He was killed during an attack on an MSF convoy on 18 November while it was en route to southern Gaza to reach a safer place.
“We arrived at the clinic and started to try to give Alaa life support, trying to stop the bleeding from his head," said an anonymous MSF staff member present during the convoy attack. "We couldn't do anything. He died while we were trying to save his life.”
MSF had informed both parties to the conflict of the evacuation. The convoy followed the itinerary indicated by the Israeli army and reached Salah Al-Deen Street along with other civilians trying to leave the area. The convoy reached the last checkpoint near Wadi Gaza, which was overcrowded at that time due to extensive screenings of Palestinians by Israeli forces. Despite prior authorisation from Israeli authorities, the MSF convoy wasn’t allowed to cross the checkpoint and was left waiting for hours. Shots were later heard by our staff, who out of fear decided to head back to the MSF premises, around four and a half miles north of the checkpoint.
On their way back, between 3:30 pm and 4:00 pm local time, the convoy was attacked on Al-Wahida Street near its junction with Said Al-A’as Street, close to MSF’s office. Two of the MSF cars were deliberately hit, killing Alaa and injuring a family member of another staff member, who later also died from his wound.
“We stood up, just shocked by his death and all that had happened to us," said another MSF staff member present that day. "I was speechless and just not able to think. My kids were crying and people were discussing how to bury our colleague.”
Dr Ahmad Al Sahar was killed in the 21 November strike on Al-Awda Hospital that also killed MSF’s Dr Abu Nujaila and another doctor, Dr Ziad Al-Tatari. Dr Al Sahar and Dr Abu Nujaila were working when the hospital’s third and fourth floors were hit. MSF has regularly shared information about Al-Awda, including making it clear to warring parties that it is a functioning hospital with medical staff.
Dr Mahmoud Abu Nujaila was killed in a strike on Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza on 21 November, along with MSF’s Dr Ahmad Al Sahar and another doctor, Dr Ziad Al-Tarari. Before his death, Dr Abu Nujaila wrote a message on a whiteboard in the hospital normally used for planning surgeries: “Whoever stays until the end will tell the story. We did what we could. Remember us.”
Though the exact circumstances and date of Reem Abu Lebdeh’s death remain unclear, we believe she was killed along with members of her family at their home in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Some members of her family remain unaccounted for.
When the Israeli military campaign moved more extensively into Khan Younis over two months ago, we knew Reem was sheltering with her parents and siblings. Regrettably, contact with Reem was lost shortly thereafter and all attempts to regain it failed due to telecommunications networks being cut off.
However, news of Reem's death and that of her family members gradually emerged in the following weeks. To this day, the zone around their house, which was heavily bombarded by Israeli forces, remains too dangerous to approach.
Reem worked as a physiotherapist for MSF in Gaza from 2018 until 2022, and last year was appointed as an associate trustee of the MSF UK Board.
Fadi Al-Wadiya was killed on 25 June along with five other people, including children, near an MSF clinic in Gaza City. He was cycling to work at the time, on his way to provide medical care to others who had been injured. Al-Wadiya was a 33-year-old physiotherapist and father of three. He worked for MSF from 2018 to 2022 and rejoined the organisation in 2024.
On 26 June, Israeli authorities shared several posts on social media accusing Al-Wadiya of involvement in military activities in Gaza. MSF is deeply concerned by these allegations and is taking them very seriously.
MSF has reached out to Israeli authorities asking for clarifications about the circumstances of Al-Wadiya's killing. Only an independent investigation can establish the facts.
Nasser Hamdi Abdelatif Al Shalfouh, 31, was killed by shrapnel injuries he suffered to his legs and chest on 8 October in Jabalia, northern Gaza, and died from his injuries on 10 October at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He was unable to receive the necessary level of care due to the hospital's lack of capacity and an overwhelming number of patients in the facility.
Nasser joined MSF as a driver in March 2023 and had not been working since the war started, as MSF activities in northern Gaza have been severely affected. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Hasan Suboh, 41, was killed on 24 October in an attack on the building where he was staying with his relatives in Khan Younis. According to the Ministry of Health, at least 33 people were killed in this attack, including 14 children.
Hasan joined MSF in 2019 as a skilled labourer, and was married with seven children.
Bilal and 10 of his relatives—including his wife, his three children, four of his young nieces and nephews, his sister and his elderly mother—were killed by an Israeli airstrike in December 2024. They had been sheltering in their building after being trapped in the area while it was under violent siege by Israeli forces. MSF lost all contact with Bilal on 1 December and despite all our attempts to get information about his situation, we only received confirmation of his death on 19 January, 2025.
Bilal joined MSF as a hygiene agent in 2017 and played a major role in supporting people in need of medical care when we resumed work at our clinic in Gaza City in April 2024. He was 37 years old. In this tragic moment, our thoughts are with Bilal’s family, friends and colleagues mourning his death.