Gaza has been among the most dangerous places in the world for paramedics and emergency responders over the past year, and the toll weighs heavily on the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), the local branch of the Red Cross.
At least 21 PRCS workers have been killed and 54 injured in the line of duty as the war in Gaza reaches the one-year mark, the organisation says. Fifty ambulances have been destroyed or damaged.
“Every time you respond to an event, you feel like you are being targeted,” says Hanadi, 47, a PRCS emergency medical technician (EMT) who serves as a first responder in the aftermath of Israeli bombing raids, in new testimonies shared exclusively with i.
“You could die at any moment. You are heading to a place that was bombed, and it could be bombed again while you’re still there.
“The hardest scenes were when our colleagues were killed while on duty. When we learned that they were killed, we went to the hospital and saw them. They left us smiling, heading to save a life, and returned dead.”
Hanadi and her two children, aged 19 and 21, were separated from her husband during forced evacuations from their home in Gaza City. She now cares for them alone in a tent in the southern city of Khan Yunis while continuing her duties. She sometimes goes for a month without speaking to him due to communication disruptions, she says.
“My time is occupied with work, and I don’t know if my son or daughter went out, or if the area was bombed,” she said. “My mind is occupied with two areas: where my children are and my work.”
On one occasion, her family and professional life were thrown together in a terrifying incident when she attended a bombing at a building in Khan Yunis with her children inside.
“My children were in the building, and the upper floor was hit while I was at work,” she said. “They came and reassured me that they were okay and unharmed.”
Working among the bombsites of Gaza is gruelling – Hanadi describes “hardship, exhaustion, and psychological pressure” – but it can also be rewarding.
“You feel happy when you see someone on the street who remembers that you once saved their life,” she said. “That erases all the fatigue you had been feeling.”
Awni Khattab also works as an EMT at PRCS, along with his wife, Tahreer, while his son, Yehya, is a volunteer.
“The work we do as a family is an honour. It’s not just my duty, but my family’s as well,” he said.
“The workload and the tragedies we witness take a toll on us. The only time we truly rest and disconnect from the world, even briefly, is when we sleep and give our bodies a moment to recover. But the tragedies repeat every day.”
Mr Khattab has worked through several wars in his 34 years of service, and has tried to prepare his children in case they lose him.
“To my children, I send this message: Your father chose to work in humanitarian service because he believed in his mission,” he said.
“If anything happens to me, hold your heads high knowing your father sacrificed for humanitarian work. This will bring you honour.”
