Princeton Doctor On Humanitarian Mission Trapped In Palestine

PRINCETON, NJ — A Princeton-based doctor is currently trapped in Rafah after having entered as part of a medical and humanitarian aid mission. His family and peers are now asking U.S. President Joe Biden to intervene and get the doctor and others home safely.

Dr. Adam Hamawy, a cosmetic surgeon, is part of a team from the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA), that entered Rafah on May 1 to provide emergency medical relief services at the European Hospital under the umbrella of the World Health Organization (WHO).

On May 7, the Israeli military seized the Gaza side of the Rafah border. The doctors and aid workers have been trapped in the enclave and cannot leave unless provided with a safe passage.

According to Dr. Ateka Gunja, spokesperson of New Jersey Palestinian Solidarity Coalition (NJPSC), Hamawy and others remain trapped as they wait for another team to come to relieve them from their duty.

“They remain trapped and are facing extreme conditions after having entered Gaza as part of a humanitarian aid mission. The siege on Rafah and the closure of the border have made it impossible for them to leave,” Gunja told Patch.

Hamawy is a former U.S. Combat Surgeon who is most famously known for saving the life of Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) in 2004 after the Blackhawk helicopter she was piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq.

Duckworth is working with the state department to help Hamawy and others.

When Hamawy last spoke to his family, he was in Khan Younis and had worked a 12-hour shift.

“His family is waiting for him to come back. It took me hours to get in touch with him yesterday,” said Nidal Hozien, Hamawy’s brother-in-law.

“He’s spending hours working. The situation is dire and he doesn’t know who to save. He’s treating women and 4-year-olds for shrapnel wounds and eye injuries, some of the worst he has seen.”

Seventeen of 20 doctors stuck in Gaza departed on Friday after talks between U.S. and Israeli authorities allowed doctors to leave.

But Hamawy wasn’t given a chance to leave, his family said.

“He was given a choice to leave his team behind or stay with them. He’s a veteran and he has been trained not to leave any American behind. So, he stayed,” Hozien said.

According to the NJPSC, time is of the essence in this situation as the doctors cannot leave unless they are given a safe passage and the other team is allowed to come in.

“The team which is supposed to relieve Dr. Hamawy is currently in Egypt. President Biden has to find a way to get the new team in and the old team out safely,” Gunja said.

“Dr. Hamawy needs to be with his family.”

According to Gunja, the team has run out of supplies, food and water. Many are surviving on one piece of bread, and one bottle of water for the entire day.

“With no proper supplies, the job for doctors becomes more difficult,” Gunja said.

Hamawy’s family meanwhile lives in fear for his safety and wellbeing. His daughter recently graduated from Rutgers University, and Hamawy's absence was greatly felt.

“It was such a bittersweet moment for the family. His daughter graduated from her father’s alma mater, but he couldn’t be with her on such a momentous day,” Hozien said. “We just want him home.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Bonnie Watsom Coleman (NJ-12) said she is working with officials to get Hamawy home.

“Dr. Hamawy and his colleagues are heroes who put themselves in harms way to save lives,” Watson Coleman said on X.

“My office is working with our partners in the Senate and at the State Department to ensure he and his team can safely evacuate.”

NJPSC is also calling on state officials to prioritize the return of Hamawy and others stuck in Palestine.

“Their selfless devotion to medical service and social justice is a testament to their professionalism, and they deserve the attention and support of our elected officials,” Gunja said. “Bring them home."

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