Palestinian Doctor Highlights Struggles of Healthcare Amid Conflict
A new documentary released by The Guardian, titled The Oath, has drawn attention to the experiences of Palestinian doctors working in Israel and the occupied territories. The film follows Dr. Lina Qasem-Hassan, chairwoman of Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), who describes the challenges of practicing medicine during a period of escalating conflict.
The Profession and Its Responsibilities
Dr. Qasem-Hassan emphasizes that medicine is grounded in humanistic values—justice, compassion, and the commitment to do no harm. She argues that doctors have a dual responsibility: to provide medical care and to advocate for patients’ right to health. According to her account, this commitment has become increasingly difficult to uphold in the face of war, displacement, and discrimination.
Impact of the Gaza War
The documentary was filmed over the past year, beginning in March 2024, several months after Israel’s assault on Gaza began. By then, thousands had been killed and Gaza’s health system had already sustained major damage. Since then, the destruction has continued, with hospitals, schools, and residential areas affected. International observers, including some legal scholars and human rights groups, have described the situation as amounting to genocide.
Dr. Qasem-Hassan recounts personal tragedies, including the death of relatives of her sister-in-law in bombings, as well as the injury of young family members who lacked access to adequate treatment due to the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system. She also notes that over 1,500 Palestinian medical personnel have been killed since October 2023, with others detained or subjected to mistreatment.
Persecution and Silencing
According to her testimony, Palestinian healthcare workers in Israel face increasing hostility, both within medical institutions and from the public. Expressions of sympathy for civilians in Gaza, she says, are often equated with support for terrorism and can result in disciplinary measures or dismissal. One of her colleagues was reportedly fired after delivering a speech criticizing the conduct of the war.
She describes the environment as one in which anti-Palestinian sentiment has surged, and slogans advocating for Gaza’s destruction are tolerated within the healthcare system. This, she argues, undermines the neutrality of medicine and erodes the professional oath of equal care.
A Continuing Struggle
Despite the risks, Dr. Qasem-Hassan states that she continues to speak out, insisting that silence renders the medical oath meaningless. For her, the act of treating patients, particularly in Gaza, is not only a medical duty but also a moral stance against injustice.
The film The Oath presents her story as part of a broader examination of how conflict reshapes the responsibilities and challenges of healthcare workers.
Click here to watch the film: The Oath