A British doctor who works as a consultant cardiologist in West Yorkshire is stuck in Gaza after being refused permission to leave. Ahmed Sabra travelled to the region to visit his relatives, but when the war with Israel broke out, he was told he could not enter Egypt. His wife and children were among those approved to leave, but his name was not on the list. Sabra, who is also an NHS consultant in Swansea, has been waiting for a month to leave Gaza, and now says that staying is a “death sentence.”
Now, his hospital colleagues in Wakefield and Swansea are hoping for his safe return. The group of consultant cardiologists issued a statement calling Sabra a “valued member of our team, providing acute cardiac care for patients in West Yorkshire.” They also expressed “extreme concern” for his welfare and demanded that every effort be made to secure his return. They added that Sabra and his family had gone through “unthinkable trauma”, including losses among family and friends.
The doctor is appealing to the UK government for intervention to help him leave. He claimed that while he is pleased his family made it safely to Egypt, he has been left stranded in a dangerous situation and that the UK government has not done enough to help him. The situation in Gaza remains extremely volatile, and Sabra claims that he and others staying there are “seeing death every day.”
A spokesman for the UK Foreign Office stated that they are “working around the clock” to help British nationals who want to leave Gaza. Procedures involve submitting details of all eligible individuals to Israeli and Egyptian authorities, who must then grant permissions to cross the border. While they say they are in regular contact with British nationals in the area, they have not yet said what specific steps they will take to help individuals like Sabra
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