A U.S. doctor survived a deadly strike in Gaza. He still plans to return: “Somebody’s got to go do this”

September 25, 2026 / 3:55 PM EDT / CBS News

The reality of being a trauma surgeon in a war zone came crashing down on Dr. Feroze Sidhwa when the surgical unit where he was working in Gaza was hit by an Israeli airstrike.

"I got scared that day, that's for sure," Sidhwa said, recalling the March 23, 2025, strike that hit the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

"The ICU has those like saloon-type swinging doors. As I walked out, the door came back and hit me in the face and I was like, 'What the heck was that?'" he said. "That was a bomb that hit the hospital and the Palestinians all recognized it immediately and, like, jumped on me to try and keep me safe."

The blast killed two people, including, Sidhwa says, one of his patients. Sources told CBS News that Ismail Barhoum, a political Hamas member and spokesperson who was being treated there, was the target.

Sidhwa, based in California, has traveled to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Ukraine and most recently Gaza to render aid.

He said he hopes to go back to Gaza early next year, but his mother worries about his…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/