WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — A critical care registered nurse who works at a Wesley Chapel med spa recently got back from her second trip to Gaza where she helped treat wounded patients.

What You Need To Know

  • Registered critical care nurse Rana Mahmoud returned from Gaza on April 10 

  • It was her second trip this year with the Palestinian American Medical Association 

  • Mahmoud said most of the wounded she treated were women and children 

  • The nurse has called for a ceasefire to protect the lives of the children

In October 2023, the terrorist group Hamas crossed Gaza’s border and into Israel, killing more than a 1,200 people and kidnapping others. Israel followed with a campaign of air strikes on targets in Gaza, which, according to reports by The Associated Press, have killed more than 34,500 people — civilians and members of Hamas — in Gaza.

Many civilians in both Israel and Gaza have been caught in the middle of this war.

“I felt the need to go,” said Rana Mahmoud, 47. “It’s such a humanitarian call.”

Mahmoud said both of her 14-day trips this year were with the Palestinian American Medical Association. She got back from her last trip on April 10. Mahmoud said because she had been to Gaza before she was the “facilitator” for the group of 11 doctors traveling with her.

“I was the only nurse with them,” she said. “I feel like all the medical providers should go and help out.” 

Mahmoud’s heritage is Palestinian, but she has lived in the United States for 37 years. She brought 30 suitcases full of medical supplies with her to Gaza. She said most of the wounded she treated were women and children.

“Every single night, when we had a mass casualty, there would be children without parents,” she said. “Those are orphans automatically.”

Mahmoud said she feared for her life the entire time due to the frequent bombing. The nurse said she stayed at a hospital with 15,000 refugees and started a wounded care team.

“Just trained some nurses there because that’s my specialty in the hospital, is that I’ve done wound care,” she said. “I’m a critical care nurse. So, I trained local nurses there to help to facilitate with wound care in Gaza.”

After seeing so many injured and orphaned children, Mahmoud said she felt the need to speak out.

“I just want (a) ceasefire because I want to save these children’s lives,” she said. “When I first started this mission, my whole goal was just to be medical. I’m non-political.”    

Mahmoud plans to go back to Gaza in June. She wants to support the wounded care team she created.

“Just seeing all those people being displaced and all of these children getting sick,” she said. “I know that I helped out twice before and I know that I can help out again.”

Mahmoud wants to return with books and puzzles for the children in Gaza and has started a fundraiser called HEAL Palestine.