Navan doctor's fears for childhood friend in Gaza

A Navan surgeon whose family has been decimated by the war in Gaza is extremely anxious about the fate of a childhood friend who was abducted by Israeli troops from in front of a Red Cross Hospital.

Mahmoud Abumarzouq, an orthopaedic surgeon living in Navan has been devastated by the disappearance of Dr Marwan al-Hams who was abducted from in front of the Red Cross field hospital in Khan Yunis on Monday while on a professional visit there.

His friends abduction is just another blow to Mahmoud whose brother was killed by an Israeli bomb last year. His two nieces and two nephews died in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza last March and he lost his uncle and brother in law during airstrikes in October 2023.

Mahmoud says that the Israeli forces who abducted Dr Marwan al-Hamfired fired live ammunition during the abduction, killing journalist Tamer al-Zaanin and injuring photojournalist Ibrahim Abu-Oshaiba.

"Dr Marwan is a very close friend and neighbour of mine. He grew up five minutes from our home. "

Dr Marwan was the lead anaesthetist for all the southern Gaza field hospitals. "He moved from hospital to hospital and was close to the Red Cross hospital in Khan Yunis when he was kidnapped.

"I am really worried for his safety. I fear what happened to Dr Adnan Al-Bursh will happen to him."

Dr Al-Bursh was a Palestinian orthopedic surgeon and the head of orthopedics at the Gaza Strip's largest medical facility, Al-Shifa Hospital. He died after having been reportedly tortured in Israeli prison after four months of detention.

Mahmoud Abumarzouq lives in Navan with his wife and children. His family in Gaza has been devastated by the Israeli attacks which have claimed the lives of his brother, his sister's two sons and two daughters, his brother-in-law and uncle.

“My brother, Ahmet Mahmoud, was killed by an Israeli bomb last year and I lost my brother-in-law and uncle in October 2023.”

“Those scars will never fade. We are heartbroken.

"I am worried for my family. My parents are elderly, there is no food no safety. They are moved from shelter to shelter and the bombardment continues around them.

"My Dad has lost 25kg and they have no medicines. The Israeli's are using the aid centres as a trap.

"It is devastating, we don't know how its going to end," he said.