By Aseel J. Ghaben
It was eleven in the morning when the house filled with cries. Ahlam, still in her prayer clothes from the first day of the war, rushed to the door, hearing wails from the street as if people were comforting someone. As she stepped out, she found her family gathered, their faces heavy with grief. They stared at her in silence, offering no explanation.
“What happened? Why all this sorrow?” Ahlam asked, her voice trembling. No one answered, but after a moment, her sister-in-law approached, hugged her, and whispered, “May Allah grant you strength. Your husband…”
Ahlam’s heart sank as she learned of her husband Bahaa Al-Kilani’s death in the latest Israeli attack on Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. The news reached them about an hour after Israeli forces withdrew, leaving behind a scene of devastation where civilians were buried alive in mass graves under horrific conditions.
Bahaa Al-Kilani, a 40-year-old head of the technical department at Al-Shifa, did not die under the crushing weight of Israeli tanks. Instead, he witnessed the atrocities and was killed while trying to protect the displaced people who had sought refuge in his office.
A Duty Covered with Blood
Al-Kilani’s family had been hearing reports of a siege and mass arrests at Al-Shifa, but they had no word from him. Late on Sunday, March 18th, Ahlam called his phone. A strange voice answered, “What do you want?” she asked, her voice shaking, “Where is Abu Mohammed?”
“Don’t call again. He’s asleep now,” replied a man in broken Arabic.
Bahaa Al-Kilani (right) at his office in Al-Shifa Hospital before the Israeli offensive on Gaza.
Ahlam had heard from friends that Bahaa was unable to leave Al-Shifa when the army surrounded the hospital at 2 a.m. A colleague who survived described Bahaa’s final moments: moving through the hospital’s corridors, ensuring the medical devices were functioning despite the chaos, and trying to provide hope to the displaced people.
When Israeli soldiers stormed the hospital in armored tanks, indiscriminately killing people, Bahaa rushed to gather as many as possible in safer areas. As the violence escalated, soldiers began calling his name, demanding his surrender. Bahaa tried to protect the children around him, giving them drinks to keep them calm, but he, along with many children, was killed in his office.
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As he faced the soldiers, Bahaa kept repeating the Shahada, a testament to his unwavering faith. The soldiers shot him, leaving his body riddled with more than fifteen bullets, stated his colleague to Ahlam. “I swear I smelled his perfume when I was praying Al-fajr some days after his killing. I thought he came to visit us,” Ahlam whispered through her tears.
The Dynamo of the Hospital
Bahaa’s daughter believes the Israeli army wanted to avenge him because he was instrumental in reoperating Al-Shifa Hospital after the first assault left it severely damaged. During the initial invasion, Bahaa had stayed behind, working until the tanks reached the hospital. He narrowly escaped death, and once the army withdrew, he returned to repair the damage and ensure the hospital could continue to serve its patients.
“He didn’t give up because he knew he had a mission to complete,” Ahlam said. He reactivated the hospital’s technical systems, revived its departments, and mobilized his colleagues and medical students to resume their duties, embodying the spirit of resilience that defines the people of Gaza.
His colleagues affectionately called him “The Dynamo,” reflecting his relentless energy and dedication. “He was the dynamo of the hospital, loved by everyone,” a colleague recalled. “He was my backbone too,” Ahlam added, remembering his strength.
The last time Ahlam saw Bahaa was when he came to bury her brothers, killed in an Israeli airstrike. After that, the separation of Gaza’s northern and southern parts on October 15th became a barrier between them.
Israeli Invasions of Al-Shifa
Bahaa Al-Kilani survived the first Israeli assault on Al-Shifa but was killed in the second while performing his duties. In mid-November 2023, Israeli forces stormed Al-Shifa Medical Complex, holding over 5,000 people hostage, including doctors, nurses, patients, and displaced civilians. The conditions were dire, with no access to water, electricity, or food, and Israeli forces fired on anyone who moved, injuring many, including children.
On April 1st, 2024, after a two-week siege, Israeli forces withdrew, leaving the hospital in ruins. The main surgery building, ICU, emergency, general surgery, and orthopedic departments— all managed by Bahaa—were destroyed. The rebuilding of Al-Shifa is expected to take over 20 years.
The Gaza Civil Defense reported finding 300 bodies in the hospital after the withdrawal, with another 900 people arrested. Hamas described the raid on Al-Shifa as an act of “confusion, chaos, and hopelessness” by the Israeli army, reflecting its failure to achieve its military objectives.
Bahaa Al-Kilani’s legacy lives on through his dedication to saving lives and his unwavering commitment to his mission, even in the face of unimaginable danger. His story is a testament to the resilience and strength of those who continue to endure and resist, no matter the odds.
Source: qudsnen
