An early‑morning strike on October 2, 2025, claimed the life of Omar Hayek, an occupational therapist working with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF / Doctors Without Borders), and injured at least four others, in the Gaza Strip. The incident marks the 14th MSF colleague killed in Gaza since the outbreak of the current conflict on October 7, 2023.

According to MSF, the attack occurred on a street in Deir al-Balah, where staff were waiting for a bus to take them to a field hospital. All those present were wearing MSF vests, clearly identifying them as medical humanitarian workers.

MSF stated that colleagues hit in the attack included a physiotherapist, an orthopedic surgeon, a supply officer, and a finance assistant; one staffer was reported to be in critical condition with shrapnel wounds.

Less than two weeks earlier, MSF had mourned the death of Hussein Alnajjar, the 13th staffer killed in Gaza, also in Deir al-Balah by Israeli strikes.
Doctors Without Borders. The organization has expressed profound sorrow and outrage, emphasizing that the killings indicate that “nowhere in Gaza is safe” for health professionals.

Omar Hayek was 42 years old. He joined MSF in June 2018 and had served as an occupational therapist at MSF’s clinic in Gaza City.

Due to the intensifying hostilities and mass displacement, Omar left Gaza City on September 13, heading south under assurances of relative safety — assurances that tragically failed. He was the sole provider for his family following the deaths of his father and his younger brother.

Omar’s death is part of a wider and deeply concerning pattern of attacks on health workers and humanitarian staff in Gaza. The United Nations estimates that at least 562 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, including 376 UN personnel.

MSF has long warned that this war is degrading what remains of Gaza’s health infrastructure. Medical teams operate under extreme danger, frequently under bombardment, with limited access to supplies, and with uncertainty about safe passage.

In past statements, MSF has also condemned militarized food distribution schemes in Gaza—labeling certain operations “orchestrated killings”—arguing that the very lines along which aid is provided are being weaponized.

Under international humanitarian law, medical personnel are protected persons. Deliberate targeting of health staff or failure to distinguish between combatants and medical workers may constitute violations of the laws of war.