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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - British-Iraqi doctor Mohammed Tahir Abu Rgheef, honored by Baghdad as a “humanity ambassador” for his volunteer work in the Gaza Strip, said on Tuesday that his fourth mission to the Palestinian enclave has been blocked.
In a statement he posted on Instagram, Tahir explained that “I was told there was a possibility I could return to Gaza 1-2 weeks ago. I arrived in London yesterday, saw my family quickly and made rapid preparations for Mission 4.” However, “I was told I had been denied entry to Gaza” while en route to the airport.
Although Tahir did not explicitly specify which side prohibited his entry, he has previously entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
In October 2023, the Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale incursion into southern Israel, killing more than 1,170 people, according to Israeli figures. Israel responded with a massive offensive in Gaza that killed 50,000 people, mostly Palestinian civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Following 15 months of war, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire which went into effect in mid-January. However on March 18, Israel launched new attacks on Gaza, killing more than 1000 Palestinians and injuring more than 2500 others, according to the Gaza health ministry. Tel Aviv says the offensive aims to secure the return of 59 hostages still held by Hamas.
Since late January 2025, the Rafah border crossing had been managed by the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM), however following the resumption of hostilities, it was immediately closed.
The British-Iraqi doctor, on Tuesday hinted at an Israeli role in his ban stating, “I can’t say I’m surprised, I’ve developed a profile, and that unsettles them.” He added, “I will try again. I will keep working for Gaza, for Iraq, for every place where people are suffering.”
Abu Ragheef, an orthopaedic and peripheral nerve surgeon, volunteers with a US-based non-profit medical charity, Fajr Scientific. He gained recognition for his crucial role in providing medical aid to Palestinians during the war on Gaza. Over the course of his missions, he performed more than 300 complex surgeries and treated over 1,200 injured individuals. His most recent mission, lasting seven months, marked his third trip to Gaza.
In late February, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani honored Tahir by awarding him a diplomatic passport and a housing unit in central Baghdad for his humanitarian contributions.
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