19 American Medical Aid workers are trapped in Gaza unsure of when they'll be able to return home they're traveling with the palestinian-american medical association volunteering for two weeks at a hospital in hunis to provide emergency medical care they say they were blocked from leaving Gaza on Monday as Israel took control of the Rafa border between Gaza and Egypt among them are a doctor and pharmacist from New Jersey Ted Goldberg spoke with one of them from Gaza I heard about what's Happening Here I I have experience I have skills that I thought could be useful and are needed Adam Ham's day job is working as a plastic surgeon in Princeton my practice now is I would say mostly elective uh I do take some Er calls uh but it's nothing compared to what I see here but he's been in hunis just north of Rafa for the last two and a half weeks volunteering to help those injured in Israel's war against Hamas the bombing that happens all night long intensifies around Dawn um I usually get up around 5:00 in the morning or 5:30 uh most of the time you know I'm sometimes I'll get a little nap after that but sometimes I I can't Hami was scheduled to leave on Monday but with no safe way out he's stuck until he and other doctors can be safely replaced we're told every day that is probably going to be the day after tomorrow so I don't believe that anymore the war between Israel and Hamas has led to more than 70,000 people being wounded and 35,000 killed in Gaza while hamwe wants to get back home to his family he's not 100% comfortable with leaving behind his patients until another doctor can take his place we feel like we are providing not just medical care but we're providing hope we're providing support we're showing them that people care and uh we're going to continue to do that until we have a safe and again we say we don't want to just want we want a safe Corridor for medical supplies for food this can easily be taken care of with one phone call how are we not protecting American citizens abroad with our colleague and partner Israel hea maxud is friends with hamo and Abu another New Jersey medical worker stuck in the Rafa area I cannot believe that this is not an issue for the American public um I mean everybody went nuts when Britney Griner was stuck in Russia the of these doctors is finally getting some attention and Abu who's also trapped is hopeful she can come home soon I made a promise to my kids and my family that I will be safe and I will be back to them my daughter graduation a from Rodgers is next Tuesday and I promised her to celebrate her success together I think that the more attention that it gets um the the better the outcome will be what they've done is at a tremendous sacrifice going into into a war zone like that being willing to use their gifts and their talents and their resources on behalf of um a population that's absolutely devastated hamwe says working during this war has left him tired despite his experience dealing with combat trauma in the US Army I think exhausted is the only thing I'm I'm I'm I'm happy to be here with these people I'm honored to be able to take care of them um I want to go home and see my family but uh I'm going to miss everyone here and I hope to come back so you know it's inconvenient but compared to what they're going through this is nothing unlike many of the doctors he serves with Hami is not Palestinian but Egyptian Syrian but that really shouldn't matter right I mean I I've worked in other places around the world where I have you know no you know no ethnic connection to them at all we we're all human beings we all have families and we all have lives that we want to to to live to its fullest and these doctors hope that after saving lives in Gaza they will be free to live their lives back home here in New Jersey for NJ Spotlight news I'm Ted Goldberg [Music]