Days of Pal – Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Saturday celebrated the graduation of 230 male and female doctors from the faculties of medicine at Al-Azhar University and the Islamic University, under the name “Phoenix Batch 2025,” in a powerful symbolic scene reflecting their will to live in the face of war and devastation.
The graduates completed an arduous educational journey marked by Israeli bombardment, repeated displacement, the loss of loved ones, and the systematic targeting of Gaza’s healthcare and education sectors.
The ceremony was organized under the patronage of the Samir Foundation in the courtyard of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, which was destroyed and raided twice during the Israeli offensive. Celebrating the site served as a message of defiance and loyalty to medical workers who graduated “from the heart of the killing,” despite a war that has touched every aspect of life in Gaza.
A large photo of martyred medical personnel was raised on the ruins of the specialized surgery building, bearing the message: “We walk in your footsteps and continue the path of medicine and humanity.”
The ceremony grounds were also adorned with photos of fallen medical students under the slogan, “They walked the journey with us but were absent from the graduation stage.”
Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Ezzedine Lulu described the path to success as exceptionally difficult. He revealed that during his studies, he received news of the killing of 20 members of his family, including his father, whose body remains buried under the rubble. Despite the immense loss, he said, he refused to abandon his dream.
Graduate doctor Raghad Hassouna said the name “Phoenix” was not chosen randomly but rather proved prophetic. “We emerged from pain and destruction, and from enormous challenges imposed by war, with even greater determination to live and succeed,” she said.
The ceremony also featured speeches by deans of medical faculties and figures who supported the students’ journey, expressing pride in the graduates and wishing them a safer, more stable future and a successful medical career.
In personal testimonies, Dr. Alaa Zaqout, a graduate of the Islamic University, said her years of study coincided with a “devastating war” that targeted families, universities, and training sites. She explained that receiving news of the deaths of relatives and colleagues while training in hospitals placed a heavy psychological burden on her, yet strengthened her resolve to continue her medical path, despite her graduation being delayed by nearly six months.
Al-Azhar University alumnus Dr. Reham Al-Souri, meanwhile, talked about dealing with extremely hazardous field conditions that were made worse by acute shortages brought on by the blockade and the devastation of Gaza’s infrastructure for health and education.
She also cited frequent electricity and internet outages, transportation difficulties, and irregular training schedules. Despite these challenges, she continued her training at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, even with resources far more limited than before the war.
Dr. Shams Abu Sweirah, for her part, discussed the difficulties of being uprooted, the scarcity of educational materials, and her dependence on electronics in the face of power outages, internet outages, and transportation issues.
None of these obstacles, she said, broke her determination. “We challenged everything out of faith in our dream,” she added.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=70982
