Full Breakdown
US Trauma Surgeons Face Rising Threats in War Zones
By Drooid · · How we work
Hospital Strikes Highlight Growing Danger to Aid Workers
On March 23, 2025, an Israeli airstrike hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, striking the surgical unit where U.S. trauma surgeon Dr. Feroze Sidhwa was operating. The blast killed two people, including one of Sidhwa’s patients, and injured him when a swinging ICU door struck his face. Sources said the target was Ismail Barhoum, a political Hamas member and spokesperson receiving treatment at the facility.
Rising Violence Against Humanitarian Personnel
The United Nations reports that more than 1,000 aid workers have been killed worldwide over the past three years. The independent research organization Humanitarian Outcomes notes that violent incidents affecting aid workers have risen by more than 1,500 % since 2000, with at least 160 major attacks recorded this year. In February, four incidents in Sudan within ten days resulted in World Food Programme partners or contractors being killed or injured while delivering food.
Doctors Call for Accountability and Continued Service
U.S. trauma surgeon Dr. Michael Samotowka describes similar hazards in Ukraine, where a missile struck an operating room he had used two months earlier. He stresses that attacks on medical facilities violate the Geneva Conventions and demand punishment for perpetrators “There needs to be some form of punishment for those who violate the law,” — Dr. Michael Samotowka, trauma surgeon. Dr. The U.S.
Data & Statistics
- > 1,000 aid workers killed (United Nations, past three years)
- + 1,500 % increase in violent incidents since 2000 (Humanitarian Outcomes)
- 160 major attacks recorded this year (Humanitarian Outcomes)
- 4 fatal incidents in Sudan in February (World Food Programme partners)
Verbatim Quotes
- “I got scared that day, that's for sure,” — Dr. Feroze Sidhwa
- “For the first time in probably 40 years, maybe 30 years, she just broke down crying, screamed at me on the phone: 'They almost killed you last time you were there. Why are you going back?'” — Dr. Feroze Sidhwa
- “There needs to be some form of punishment for those who violate the law,” — Dr. Michael Samotowka, trauma surgeon
