‘Nabeel is Gone’: Italy Saddened by Death of Palestinian Doctor Fighting Coronavirus

April 8, 2020

Doctor Nabeel Khair, 62, died in the Italian town of Cagliari due to the COVID-19 disease caused by the Coronavirus. (Photo: Supplied)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff

A well-known Palestinian doctor died in the Italian town of Cagliari on Wednesday, April 8, due to the COVID-19 disease caused by the Coronavirus. 

Nabeel Khair, 62, was one of the first doctors to take his place at the frontline in the fight against the deadly disease. 

Early March, Khair was tested positive for the novel Coronavirus.

بقلوب يعتصرها الآلام ننعى الأخ د. نبيل خير والذى توفاه الله صباح هذا اليوم، انا لله وانا اليه راجعون ، الدكتور نبيل من بين الأطباء الفلسطينيين الذين أصيبوا بفيروس كورونا وهو يمارس عمله . رحمك الله دكتورنا 
È venuto a mancare il fratello Nabil Kheir a causa del covid 19, medico Palestinese in Sardegna ed era uno dei più attivi sulla questione Palestinese.
Riposa in pace fratello
174
164
160

The Palestinian doctor was well-known in the Palestine community because of his active work within the organization Ponti non Muri, which aims at creating a “bridge between Sardinia and Palestine through universal languages such as music, culture, and sports”.

Thanks to the work of the organization, many Palestinian delegations, mostly of women athletes, came to Italy to participate in various sports events. 

Doctor Khair arrived in Tonara in February, “after a very long struggle by the community to have health care assistance,” the mayor of the town told Unione Sarda newspaper.

In a statement, the Ponti non Muri organization wrote on Facebook:

“Our friend Nabeel is gone. But the memory of his deep voice, his enthusiasm, his laughter, and his smile will stay with us forever; especially, we will not forget his proud and teary eyes whenever he spoke about his homeland, Palestine. 

Ci sono notizie che non vi avremmo mai voluto dare, come questa.
Il nostro amico Nabeel non c’è più.
Rimangono però il suo vocione, l’entusiasmo, la risata e i sorrisi che ha sempre condiviso con noi, ma anche e soprattutto gli occhi umidi e orgogliosi quando si parlava della sua terra, la Palestina.
…See More

“We are sad and speechless now, but we will keep our promise, dear brother Nabeel: every single day, we will never stop talking about Palestine, about a free Palestine.”

(The Palestine Chronicle)

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!