Humans Aren’t the Only Victims of War
by Aya Al-Hattab
Published in Solarpunk Magazine Issue #26 | March 10, 2026
In the heart of Gaza City, amid the destruction and silence of a city at war, Dr. Abdullah Murtaja opens the door to his clinic. Inside, the familiar smells of medicine and fur offer a rare sense of normalcy.
Dr. Abdullah Murtaja, a well-known veterinarian in Gaza, did not reach his profession easily. To study veterinary medicine at Cairo University in Egypt, he first had to overcome the difficulty of travel, losing an entire semester along the way. Still, he persisted, determined to continue his academic path until he finally graduated.
He chose veterinary medicine out of a childhood love for pets and also because the Gaza Strip at the time was in need of veterinarians; his passion was shaped by the needs of his community.
“Dr. Abdullah returned to his clinic in Gaza City when Palestinians were allowed to go back. The destruction was overwhelming.”
The first case he treated—one he says he still remembers—was in Egypt, when he helped treat a cow. He remembers feeling a mix of nervousness and quiet happiness.
He began his professional career in Egypt, then continued it in Gaza, where he opened a veterinary clinic in Gaza City and another in Khan Younis. The latter was destroyed during the war.
Before the war, his work in Gaza City was part of a growing veterinary field that was steadily developing.
At the start of the war, he kept working in his Gaza City clinic. After being forced to flee the city, he continued working at his clinic in Khan Younis.
When Khan Younis was invaded, he was forced to flee again, this time to Rafah. That was when I first heard about him through a friend, as I was searching for a nearby veterinarian to take my beloved cat, Pinky, for vaccinations. I visited him with my cat, and after that, Pinky continued to see him regularly.
He stayed in Rafah for months, but when the Israeli occupation suddenly reached the city in May 2024, he was forced to flee once more to the central Gaza Strip along Salah al-Din Street, the most dangerous place at the time. I remember the day I brought Pinky for her scheduled dose; a building next to the clinic was bombed, the ground shook, and smoke filled the air. Yet he did not postpone his work. On the contrary, once things calmed slightly, he continued treating the pets with complete focus and care.
I remember how carefully he treated Pinky during that period. She had an allergy to tree leaves, but it gradually disappeared after repeated visits and treatment. Even in the hardest conditions, Dr. Abdullah never failed in his duty.
During the January ceasefire, Dr. Abdullah returned to his clinic in Gaza City when Palestinians were allowed to go back. The destruction was overwhelming. His once beautiful and distinctive clinic lay in ruins. He told me he felt as if he were watching his dream collapse in front of his eyes.
Throughout this entire period—from the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023 until January 2025—obtaining medicine and pet food became extremely difficult. Many cat and dog owners were forced to abandon their pets because they simply could no longer care for them.
From the first ceasefire in January until early March 2025, only very small amounts of pet food were allowed to enter, while medicines and treatments were almost impossible to obtain.
In March, the war returned in a harsher and more violent form, yet life somehow continued. I kept taking Pinky to Dr. Abdullah’s clinic in Gaza City, even though leaving home was extremely dangerous. Despite everything, he continued working as much as he could, and in its fragile way, life went on.
“Gaza City felt like the end of the world—everything was collapsing at terrifying speed.”
After the fighting resumed following the first ceasefire, the situation was far worse than before. Severe famine spread, not only among pets but among people as well. From March 2025 to September 2025, hunger became deadly, and when pet food was available, its price was unimaginably high.
We could barely feed ourselves, let alone our pets. I have never experienced a period in my life more difficult than that one.
By September 2025, the war had reached one of its harshest phases. Israeli forces intensified bombardments, striking high-rise buildings and detonating explosive-laden robots across entire residential blocks, forcing Palestinians to flee their homes toward the southern areas of the Gaza Strip.
One day in September, I texted Dr. Abdullah on WhatsApp to book an appointment for my cat, Pinky. He replied that he was leaving; he would not wait for “zero hour.”
Gaza City felt like the end of the world—everything was collapsing at terrifying speed.
Dr. Abdullah was displaced to the central area, where he opened a small veterinary clinic.
Fortunately, a new ceasefire was announced in October, and luckily, Dr. Abdullah’s clinic in Gaza City remained standing and was not destroyed.
Over time, Dr. Abdullah carried out renovations and repairs at his Gaza City clinic, providing excellent and dedicated care for pets. Gradually, cat food began to enter Gaza and became available again.
Today, he has a clinic in the central Gaza Strip and another in Gaza City, restored to its former beauty.
During my last visit to his Gaza City clinic, I was struck by the renovations. He asked me what I thought, and I told him it deserved an article.
Unfortunately, veterinary medicines are still not entering the Gaza Strip, making it difficult to provide certain vaccinations for cats and dogs. The problem imposed by the Israeli occupation affects not only us Palestinians in Gaza, but also our pets, depriving them of even their most basic needs.
“Even in the hardest moments, I cannot stop caring for them,” Dr. Abdullah says, his hands steady as he tends to a frightened cat. In Gaza, where so much is lost, his commitment reminds us that compassion endures.
Aya Al-Hattab graduated from Al-Azhar University in Gaza, with a degree in translation. She is passionate about writing, especially short stories, making her a skilled storyteller. Aya draws inspiration from the Palestinian cause, a passion that has been with her since childhood. In her role as a short-storyteller, Aya focuses on writing and sharing the stories and experiences of young Palestinians striving for a better future.
Aya’s passion for reading, adventures, and exploring the world through travel fuels her creativity. Aya’s interest in languages and tourism reflects her curiosity about different cultures and places. She adores peace and love that exists in her personality, aspiring for a safe world. She finds motivation in “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne, which has shaped her into an optimistic young woman who embraces life’s possibilities.
