Maisara Al Rayyes: doctor and Chevening scholar, who was committed to improving health in Gaza
BMJ 2024; 384 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q123 (Published 18 January 2024) Cite this as: BMJ 2024;384:q123
Credit: British Consulate General, Jerusalem
Palestinian doctor Maisara Al Rayyes was an inspirational young health leader who was committed to improving health among his community in Gaza, where he was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Al Rayyes, an emergency doctor and medical supervisor who worked for Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) for two years from October 2021, died, aged 28, when his home in Gaza was hit on 5 November 2023.
He worked extensively with community based, government, and non-government organisations in Gaza and had researched the impact of conflict on patients and doctors. He also worked in obstetrics and gynaecology at Al Shifa medical complex.
An outstanding medical student, Al Rayyes studied at Al-Azhar University Gaza and was president of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFSMA) in Gaza (2016-17).
As a project coordinator for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (2017-2019), he led the training of medical students to become life saving first aid instructors and gain skills to act in emergency situations.
Time in the UK
In the UK he undertook a masters in women and children’s health at King’s College London (2019-20) on the prestigious Chevening scholarship programme run by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).
“It was obvious from the outset that Maisara was a very bright and articulate clinician and student,” says Kim Jonas, senior lecturer in reproductive physiology and course co-leader for the King’s masters degree, who interviewed him.
His personal statement was “one of the strongest I have read, both academically and emotionally,” Jonas told The BMJ, saying it expressed so well how he wanted to develop his knowledge, research studies, and leadership skills to help improve patient care. “Maisara brought lively debate and discussion to our cohort, particularly during journal clubs and feedback sessions. Indeed, he knew his own mind and was not afraid to articulate his opinion.
“He had an exuding passion for improving the health outcomes and lives of women and children, particularly in his local community, which he continued after his graduation,” says Jonas.
Al Rayyes researched the impact of blockade and conflict on maternal and child health services in Gaza and also explored doctors’ experiences and training needs. In one study, published in 2022, he and colleagues wrote that Gaza “lives in a protracted emergency crisis,” having experienced repeated escalations that had overwhelmed its hospitals.1 It concluded that there was a lack of infrastructure to support primary emergency care and primary care providers needed continuous education and training in disaster preparedness and response.
Al Rayyes was well known for his leadership traits, resilience, and commitment to medicine, “especially the instructorship part of it,” says Bahzad Al Akhras, who studied with him at King’s and who describes his friend as “caring, loyal, honest, and humble.”
Al Akhras told The BMJ: “Maisara decided to go back to Gaza after he finished his degree in the UK. In Gaza he started working with Médecins du Monde as an emergency doctor instructor. He was training medical staff from the Ministry of Health on acute trauma life support (ATLS) and on emergency preparedness protocols at the ministry.”
Al Rayyes received his official internationally recognised licence as an ATLS instructor after he passed the exam in Amman, Jordan. He was studying for medical exams required to be registered as a doctor in the UK.
In September 2023, Al Rayyes was photographed in Jerusalem alongside other Palestinian Chevening scholars meeting James Cleverly, who was then UK Foreign Secretary.
King’s College London held a memorial gathering in November 2023, where tutors and fellow students spoke of Al Rayyes’ achievements and influence.
Lujain Alqodmani, president of the World Medical Association and a former vice president of IFMSA, described Al Rayyes as a “highly motivated” leader who was determined to improve health for his community and overcome barriers put in his path.
What happened to Al Rayyes?
Al Rayyes was killed along with several family members after their apartment building in Gaza City was hit in an Israeli bombardment on 5 November 2023.2
He had previously sent messages to friends describing his fears of bombing attacks.3
Al Rayyes’s parents and a nephew were found dead in the rubble the next day while it took longer to recover the bodies of Al Rayyes, his two sisters, and a younger relative, according to media reports. His two brothers were killed in a subsequent air strike on the same street.
The UK’s government’s response to the killings attracted widespread criticism.4
On 8 November 2023, FCDO posted a statement of condolence on X (Twitter) saying it was “devastated” to learn of the deaths.5
Some Foreign Office staff were, however, said to be furious about how the incident was dealt with and others took to social media to accuse the UK government of trying to avoid criticism of Israel by not giving any details about how the deaths came about.
Husam Zomlot, head of The Palestinian Mission to the UK, said in a post on X that the FCDO statement was “unacceptable.”6
Asked to respond to the criticism, FCDO told The BMJ it had nothing to add to its initial tweet.
The Israeli military has not responded to questions about the incident, the BBC reported.
Médecins du Monde said in a statement: “After his house was bombed, Maisara Al Rayyes, his family, and other Gazans remained under the rubble for more than 48 hours. Rescue bulldozers were delayed due to a lack of fuel, essential to the work of hospitals, ambulances, and research operations. The rescue mission then had to be interrupted due to additional bombing in the area.”7 Florence Rigal, the organisation’s president, said the tragedy could have been avoided if a ceasefire had been introduced.
Maisara Al Rayyes leaves his wife, Laura Hayek, also a Chevening scholar.
Maisara Al Rayyes (b 1995; q Al Quds University, 2018), died in an airstrike on 5 November 2023