On Sunday, Aug. 23, about 130 people attended “Back From Gaza: The Systematic Destruction of Healthcare,” a panel hosted by Free Palestine Charleston at Circular Congregational Church.
The panel featured remarks from Dr. Natalie Freidin, Dr. Jen Hubbard, Dr. Mike Mallah, Dr. Andre Uflacker and Dr. Safanah Siddiqui, who participated in medical missions in Gaza since 2023. Four of the five panelists live and practice medicine in Charleston. The panel was moderated by local activist Delaney Wilder.
The physicians described the conditions they witnessed while working in hospitals in Gaza at different stages of the conflict that began in October 2023.
“In addition to the bombardment, there are also people in Gaza dying because Israel has destroyed access to the type of health services they need,” said Siddiqui, a cardiologist who traveled to Gaza in July 2026. “Shifa hospital, where I was stationed, was once a state-of-the-art institution, had been bombed and invaded by the Israeli military and is no longer fully functioning. It's a crime against humanity and a crime against the field of medicine.”
All five physicians discussed conditions they said have devastated Gaza's health care system, including restrictions on medical supplies and a lack of hygienic conditions in hospitals and camps. They also discussed famine conditions and rodent outbreaks that they said have worsened outcomes for patients, many of whom are suffering from illnesses and diseases that would otherwise be considered preventable.
Trauma surgeon Dr. Jen Hubbard, a guest speaker from Connecticut who traveled to Gaza in January 2026, discussed how frequent strikes have displaced Palestinians who are forced to shelter in tents.
“90% of these camps do not have power,” Hubbard said. “The lack of heat leads to increased hypothermia.”
“I don't want to treat my patients for a heart attack only for them to be bombed the next day,” Siddiqui later said, arguing that Palestinians need an end to the conflict in addition to access to health care.
Other physicians attributed the devastation they witnessed to Israeli strikes on hospitals and restrictions on medical supplies and health care workers entering Gaza.
Freidin, a nephrologist who is Jewish, said she was blocked from entering Gaza by Israeli authorities.
The event attracted local health care workers, students and activists.
“Hearing all of the stories was both sobering and motivating,” attendee Ester Araujo said. “The physicians spoke with such conviction. There was a sense of camaraderie in the room.”
The event closed with a call for attendees to join Free Palestine Charleston's ongoing campaign against Israeli-based weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems. Organizers said howitzer cannons and munitions produced at the company's Ladson facility have been used by Israeli forces in strikes in Gaza and Lebanon.
The Ladson facility opened with tax incentives approved by Charleston County Council in 2023. Organizers said one of those incentives, a fee-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement, is up for renewal in March 2027.