Rami Atiyah’s Struggle: A Story of Survival and Urgent Need for Medical Care
Rami Atiyah gulps down water through a syringe, unable to lift his head. His breathing is shallow. He has been brought to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, in the hopes that something can be done for him.
“Rami, my brother, has a mental disorder and speech disability. We searched for him for a month, not knowing he was detained in Rafah by Israeli forces. Now, he has lost his eyesight. His stomach is torn open, and he has multiple injuries. “He’s barely alive,” his distraught brother says.
Rami is believed to have suffered multiple gunshot wounds, leaving him almost blind. It seems the Israeli soldiers fired at him at close range. There are five bullets lodged in his stomach. One bullet went through his eye and exited the back of his head, fracturing his skull. His legs and limbs were also shot.
His family believes that while in detention, he was operated on by the Israelis before being handed over to the Red Cross. He has skull fractures, gunshot wounds to his eye and body, and parts of his intestine have been removed. Additional gunshot wounds are present in his back.
“We brought him to the hospital, hoping his life can be saved. The doctors at Nasser Hospital confirmed that Rami needs immediate critical care, which is not available inside the Gaza Strip. But medical exit permits are hard to get, especially with the closure of the Rafah Crossing. He is in a very critical condition and has been admitted to the ICU,” explains a family member.
Urgent Appeal for Medical Aid
The situation in Gaza has made it increasingly difficult to secure medical exit permits, making Rami’s situation even more dire. Immediate international intervention and medical support are crucial for his survival.