Bashar Murad
CARE IN WAR
Since the war between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023, Gaza’s health care system has been severely damaged by Israeli airstrikes. As of early March, according to the International Rescue Committee, medical supplies were running scarce and only a dozen of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remained even partially functional—at a time when demand for medical services is off the charts because of the continuing conflict.
‘Catastrophic.’ —Bashar Murad on the health situation in Gaza
In a November interview with Al Jazeera, local physician Bashar Murad described the situation as “catastrophic.” But that hasn’t stopped him from doing whatever he can for the Palestinian people. Murad is the executive director of the Palestine Red Crescent Society—part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global humanitarian network—which has stepped up to provide first aid, medical treatment, humanitarian aid, and psychosocial support as the Palestinian health care network was torn apart and international aid agencies were kept at bay.
Under Murad’s leadership, the Palestine Red Crescent Society performed emergency first aid on
