Slate Daily Feed What Next | A Surgeon in Gaza's "End Game"
Sep 24, 2025
Dr. Mohammed 'Adeel' Khaleel, a minimally invasive spinal surgeon, recounts his harrowing experiences volunteering in Gaza amidst escalating violence. He explores the tragic shift from blast injuries to gunshot wounds as aid distribution sites became targets. Adil shares the emotional toll on medical staff, the chaos of overcrowded hospitals housing thousands of refugees, and the desperate shortage of medical supplies. He reflects on the psychological burden of leaving colleagues behind and the daunting uncertainty of future trips to a war-torn Gaza.
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Colleague Killed Trying To Get Aid
- Dr. Mohammed "Adeel" Khaleel recounts treating a nurse anesthetist's husband who was shot in the head at an aid distribution site and later died.
- He describes staff picking pieces of skull from the wound while the patient's colleagues watched in sorrow.
Border Bottlenecks Starve Hospitals
- Khaleel observed thousands of aid trucks stalled at borders while hospitals inside Gaza lacked supplies.
- He highlights how checkpoint control and 'dual use' rules blocked critical equipment like ultrasounds.
Hospital Campus Filled With Refugees
- At European Hospital near Khan Yunis, 35,000 refugees lived on campus in improvised tents and makeshift living spaces.
- Khaleel describes handing out candy to children who were everywhere on the hospital grounds.