Abdul Hamid Mahmoud Qardaya: A Physiotherapist Who Rebuilt Lives in the Midst of Destruction

He began his professional career in 2007, working in physiotherapy, and from that year until the day of his martyrdom, he served the people of Gaza without interruption. For nearly twenty years, Abdul Hamid witnessed the repeated wars which Israeli occupation forces callously described as “mowing the lawn”^[1] waged against Gaza each of which generated waves of patients with severe burns, limb loss, and the need for prolonged rehabilitation. The follow-up care for this patient group, who required support in many areas of life long after initial emergency treatment, demanded its own specialized expertise and dedication. Abdul Hamid devoted his life to the follow-up, support, and ongoing treatment of his patients after their emergency interventions.

Physiotherapist Abdul Hamid Mahmoud, having joined Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in 2006, continued to deepen his expertise through international training programs and certifications in burn rehabilitation, post-severe trauma physical therapy, and biomechanics. This period marked a decisive turning point in Dr. Abdul Hamid’s life and career. Through years of this devoted work and his leadership, he became Head of the Physiotherapy Department in 2020. In this role, he was responsible for shaping rehabilitation services under conditions of extreme restriction and deprivation, managing teams, and ensuring continuity of care despite equipment shortages, power outages, and repeated staff rotations.

One of Abdul Hamid’s most significant professional contributions to gain international recognition was his implementation of the 3D mask technique in Gaza. Working under severe constraints and scarcity, Dr. Abdul Hamid Qaradaya used these custom-fabricated, patient-specific masks to treat the scarring caused by facial burns that resulted in serious deformities and produced what could only be described as miracles.^[2] In an environment where advanced reconstructive surgery was generally unavailable, this technique offered patients both physical recovery and psychological relief, enabling them to regain their self-confidence and social presence. Dr. Abdul Hamid’s deep expertise across three domains of physiotherapy was critical both in Gaza and in the scientific community: Post-Trauma Rehabilitation: In the early years after graduation, he concentrated on the physical treatment of severe injuries. Burn Treatment: After beginning his work with MSF, he participated in advanced physiotherapy training programs held in Jordan and other countries in the region, specializing in techniques to prevent contracture (joint restriction) in burn patients. Biomechanics and Technology: From 2020 onward, he combined his training with technology, becoming the region’s reference figure in the production of personalized medical devices using 3D printers.

During wartime, Abdul Hamid practiced physiotherapy within the health sector. He drew attention to the urgent needs of burn survivors and individuals using prosthetic limbs, and advocated that survival without rehabilitation often meant lifelong disability. When appropriate equipment was unavailable, he refused to yield to limitations. Instead, he improvised solutions. Among his most impactful initiatives was collaborating with a local tailor to produce compression garments for burn patients, transforming simple materials into essential treatment tools.

Beyond systems and techniques, Abdul Hamid’s greatest impact was in the personal realm. He possessed a personality that left a profound impression on both patients and students alike. Many of his students have said that Dr. Abdul Hamid was the person who inspired them to pursue physiotherapy. His colleagues and trainees described him as a mentor who consistently led by example; patient, humble, and deeply committed to teaching others.

Known for his generosity, compassion, and conscientious character, Dr. Abdul Hamid treated his patients as human beings before diagnosing their conditions, and with the awareness that trauma extends far beyond physical wounds, he offered psychological support alongside clinical care. Outside of work, his perhaps only hobbies were watching football and exploring Gaza which is a city whose history and identity he took great pride in. Despite all the hardships of the blockade and occupation, he remained deeply and wholeheartedly attached to Gaza and its people.

On October 2, 2025, Dr. Abdul Hamid was attacked while waiting for a car to go to work early in the morning, as was his routine. It was around 5 am while he was waiting for a vehicle to take him to his workplace in Deir Al-Balah, with others nearby, Israeli occupation forces carried out an airstrike on the area as they had done so many times before. Dr. Abdul Hamid suffered severe wounds to his head and abdomen. Doctors fought to save his life, but shrapnel embedded in his head caused fatal complications. MSF described his death as “preventable.” Had medical evacuation permission been granted in time, Dr. Abdul Hamid might be alive today.^[3] In the chaos created by the chain of malicious obstacles and negligence, Dr. Abdulhamid Qardaya was martyred on the day of October 5.

His death represented the loss of a husband and father, the loss of a mentor and leader, and the loss of a pillar of Gaza’s rehabilitation services. The passing of Dr. Abdul Hamid Mahmoud Qardaya was not merely the loss of a war victim. It was the loss of a man who, in the midst of destruction, was a force of recovery; a man who turned absence into presence.

His legacy lives on in every burn survivor he treated, in every person with limb loss who regained function, and in every young professional he inspired to choose healing as a mission. In a world where destruction frequently makes the headlines, Dr. Abdul Hamid’s life stands as proof that humanity can endure, and even flourish, even under siege.