Abed El Hameed Qaradaya
Shrapnel injuries from the October 2 attack; he succumbed to those wounds on Sunday, 5 October.
MSF says the injuries were sustained during an attack on Thursday 2 October in Deir Al-Balah that struck a street where MSF staff — wearing clearly marked MSF vests and waiting for a bus to a field hospital — were standing. Abed received emergency care but later died of the critical shrapnel wounds on 5 October. The same attack killed MSF colleague Omar Hayek and injured others.
Biography
Abed El Hameed Qaradaya (43) was MSF’s physiotherapy activities manager in Gaza and a cornerstone of its rehabilitation work for about 18 years. He specialized in physiotherapy and occupational therapy, led the introduction of 3D physiotherapy technologies in Gaza, and adapted local solutions (custom compression suits, tailored walkers) to help burn victims, amputees and other patients despite chronic supply shortages. He is survived by his wife and two children.
For nearly two decades Abed worked with MSF in Gaza, managing the physiotherapy program and developing rehabilitation capacity under extremely difficult conditions. He collaborated with tailors and logisticians to innovate low-resource solutions (for example compression garments for burns and customized walkers for amputees), and pushed to establish a 3D physiotherapy/rehab unit to bring new technologies into Gaza’s health system. Colleagues described him as optimistic, compassionate and deeply committed to restoring patients’ dignity and mobility. His work supported trauma, burns and long-term rehabilitation services across MSF’s Gaza projects.
Additional Information
Sources & References
The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has confirmed the death of Abed El Hameed Qaradaya, a senior physiotherapy manager, following an attack by 'Israeli' forces in Gaza. The organization described the loss as “profoundly sorrowful and outrageous.” Qaradaya, 43, succumbed on Sunday, 5 October, to critical shrapnel injuries sustained during an attack on Thursday, 2 October in Deir Al-Balah. The attack also killed fellow MSF staff member Omar Hayek and injured several others. All personnel were clearly marked as humanitarian medical workers at the time. Abed El Hameed was the fifteenth MSF staff member killed in Gaza since the outbreak of 'Israeli' violence on 7 October 2023, and the third colleague to die in less than three weeks. MSF described him as a cornerstone of its physiotherapy department in Gaza for the past 18 years, highlighting his dedication to both patient recovery and dignity. “Abed innovated and adapted tools to meet the needs of patients wounded or amputated in the conflict, including custom compression suits for burn victims and personalized walkers,” MSF said. He was also instrumental in establishing Gaza’s 3D physiotherapy department, introducing new technologies to the region despite ongoing supply shortages due to the blockade.1 en.royanews.tv Open source
Abed was dedicated not only to his patients’ physical recovery but also to restoring their hope and sense of dignity. The loss of Abed El Hameed Qaradaya, MSF physiotherapy activities manager at Nasser Hospital, is immense and has a tragic impact on his loved ones, MSF, and the health system in Gaza. Despite the care provided by medical teams, on Sunday, October 5, he succumbed to critical shrapnel injuries sustained in an attack on October 2 that also killed our colleague Omar Hayek and injured several others. The attack, carried out by Israeli forces in Gaza, struck a street where our teams were2 instagram.com Open source