Gaza

A doctor’s haunting diary of the war in Gaza

It’s 1 a.m. in central Gaza, and emergency physician Salman Khalid is jolted awake by a text message that simply says, “mass casualty.”  As part of a three-member team providing care at al-Aqsa Hospital, Dr. Khalid rushes to his station, where he is greeted by a heartbreaking sight—a family of five siblings, all under 18, suffering from horrific injuries after their tent in a designated “humanitarian zone” was bombed while they slept. This despairing reality is a daily occurrence in Gaza, where innocent civilians suffer under the violence of Israel’s military.

In Gaza: A Doctor’s Diary, Salman Khalid offers a poignant and deeply personal journal of his volunteer mission to Palestine in late 2024. Over the course of a month, he captures the stark realities of life in a war zone, revealing the harrowing conditions faced by patients and medical professionals alike. With unflinching honesty, he reflects on the trauma, tragedy, resilience, and humanity that persist amid destruction and death. This firsthand account of the brutality of the genocide in Gaza invites readers to witness the power of compassion in the face of unimaginable horror.

All proceeds from the book will be donated to Humanity Auxilium, an American and Canadian NGO that is one of only 25 organizations worldwide that has been able to get people and supplies into Gaza.

Dr. Salman Khalid is a Canadian emergency room physician who volunteered on a medical mission at al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza in September 2024. He has over 15 years of clinical experience, and this was his first time practicing medicine in a conflict zone.