A commentary by writer Ramzy Baroud focuses on Gaza health workers who continue serving patients while enduring profound personal loss. At its centre is Dr Munir al-Bursh, director-general of Gaza’s Health Ministry, whose daughter Jinan was killed in 2023 and whose son Basir was killed in a drone strike near Jabaliya on September 19, 2026, according to the commentary.
Work amid grief
Baroud describes al-Bursh continuing to document deaths and injuries and to work within a health system facing overwhelming demand. The account presents his persistence as an example of the personal cost borne by medical staff as they try to maintain care amid repeated attacks and shortages.
A wider toll on healthcare
The commentary cites World Health Organization figures of more than 1,700 healthcare workers killed since 2023 and at least 920 attacks on healthcare. It also refers to Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the detained director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, whose case has drawn concern from human rights officials.
This is an opinion piece, and its broader characterization of Gaza’s experience reflects the author’s argument. The figures and individual cases should be read with their stated sources and context. Its central question is how medical workers can keep caring for others when both the health system and their own families are under devastating pressure.
