Izzeldin Abuelaish, a physician and academic born in the Jabalia refugee camp in 1955, achieved international attention during the 2009 Gaza War. While serving as a senior researcher at Sheba Hospital, he maintained a live broadcast connection with Israeli media to report on regional conditions, ultimately documenting the shelling of his home that resulted in the deaths of three daughters and a niece.
Medical Training and Career
Abuelaish pursued his medical education at Cairo University, graduating in 1983. He later secured a diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the University of London and completed a residency at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba between 1997 and 2002. His clinical expertise expanded through subspecialty training in fetal medicine across Italy and Belgium, complemented by a master’s degree in Public Health from Harvard University. Before his relocation to Canada, he served as a physician in the Gaza Strip and maintained a staff position at Sheba Medical Center, marking him as the first Palestinian doctor to hold such a role within an Israeli hospital.
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Following the 2009 conflict, Abuelaish shifted his focus toward promoting reconciliation and supporting education. He established the Daughters for Life Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing scholarships for young women from Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Syria. The foundation facilitates academic opportunities at universities in Canada, the United States, and Belgium, aiming to cultivate leadership potential among women in the Middle East and North Africa.
Academic Contributions and Honors
In 2011, Abuelaish published his memoir, I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity, which became a global bestseller and was translated into 23 languages. He was recruited by the University of Toronto, where he served as an associate professor of Global Health. His professional contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Order of Ontario, the Meritorious Service Decoration, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Antwerp awarded in 2021. He became a Canadian citizen in 2015.
Fast facts
- Born: 1955, Jabalia Refugee Camp
- Medical Specialization: Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Fetal medicine
- Education: Cairo University, University of London, Harvard University
- Notable Publication: I Shall Not Hate (2011)
- Citizenship: Palestine, Canada
- Key Award: Order of Ontario
Questions readers ask
What is the focus of the Daughters for Life Foundation?
The foundation provides scholarships to young women from the Middle East and North Africa to pursue university studies in Canada, the United States, and Belgium.
Where did Abuelaish hold his medical residency?
He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Israel, between 1997 and 2002.
Achievements
- Order of Ontario
- Held posts at University of Toronto
