“Promoción de la Humanidad” (graduación de médicos en Gaza). “The Regiment of Humanity” (Gaza, medical graduation ceremony) ESP ENG

 

 

Amid the ruins of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Gaza’s Health Ministry graduated 168 doctors.      

 

Amid the ruins of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Gaza’s Health Ministry graduated 168 doctors, underscoring the resilience of medical workers despite the systematic destruction of the health sector.  

 

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip awarded on Thursday 25 December the “Palestinian Board” certificate to 168 doctors during a graduation ceremony held in the courtyards of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, west of Gaza City.  

 

The hospital was largely destroyed during Israel’s war on Gaza, turning the event into a stark reflection of the resilience of Gaza’s medical community amid widespread devastation of the health sector.  

 

Held under the slogan “The Regiment of Humanity,” the ceremony included the doctors taking their professional oath, reaffirming their commitment to medical ethics and to continuing their humanitarian work despite the ongoing crisis.  

 

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Youssef Abu Al-Reesh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said the graduates had completed their training “amid bombardment, rubble, and bloodshed.”  

 

He added that the doctors continued their studies while treating the wounded, highlighting the continuation of specialized medical training throughout the war.  

 

Dr. Muhammad Abu Salmiya, medical director of Al-Shifa Hospital, told Anadolu Agency that the graduation comes after two years in which Gaza’s health system and hospitals were repeatedly targeted, despite their protection under international humanitarian law.  

 

He said the attacks failed to break Palestinian society, stressing that medical staff are determined to rebuild the hospitals that were destroyed.  

 

Dr. Ahmed Basel, head of a department at Abdul Aziz al-Rantisi Hospital, said the graduation inside a damaged medical complex sends a clear message that Palestinians continue to pursue education and professional advancement under the most difficult circumstances.  

 

He added that many doctors are continuing toward advanced academic degrees, including doctorates, despite the war.  

 

The ceremony also commemorated doctors and health workers killed during the war, with their photographs placed on chairs on the platform in a symbolic tribute to their sacrifices.

 

The event was marked by a mixture of pride and mourning.  The graduation took place amid an ongoing health and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, driven by repeated attacks on medical facilities, severe shortages of supplies, and sustained pressure on hospitals and medical personnel.  

 

With US backing, Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023. Over two years, the war has killed around 71,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 171,000, most of them women and children.  

 

Although a ceasefire came into effect on October 10, Israel has continued to violate it, resulting in at least 411 Palestinian deaths and more than 1,100 injuries since then, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.