Arabs and Jews work side by side in Israel’s most famous hospital. But since Hamas’ terror, old scars are reopening. Visit a place that wants to stand for peace, even in war.
Dr. Jammal dabs over the drops of blood. The cut in the woman’s arm on the operating table is narrow, just big enough to allow a wire to get caught in it. “Take it and tighten it,” says Mahmoud Jammal to his assistant doctor. With his forehead furrowed, he grabs the wire with a device – and slips. Jammal breathe in deeply and breathe out again. “We’ll try again.” The surgeon still has four operations to do that day, he says: “There will be more everyday injuries again.” Like that of the woman who you just treat.
The past few weeks have been the opposite of everyday life: gunshot wounds, stuck bullets, shattered limbs. Since the Hamas massacre on October 7th, Dr. Jammal and his colleagues in the hospital’Hadassah-Ein Kerem’ in Jerusalem more than twice as much as usual. From six in the morning to 8 in the evening, often even longer.
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The hospital has 300 patients in connection with the Hamas attack and the military operation Gaza treated. Mahmoud names October 7th Jammal “Black Saturday”. On that day alone, he and his colleagues treated 80 victims of terror, almost all of them from places near Gaza. And in some cases even the terrorists themselves until they were fit to be transported. But above all soldiers.