Nurse Lana: Bearing Witness in Gaza | Sumud Podcast w/ Dr. Ed Hasan

In this episode of the Sumud Podcast, Palestinian-American nurse and humanitarian volunteer Nurse Lana shares her firsthand experiences working inside Gaza during the war. Through powerful testimony, she recounts what she witnessed in hospitals overwhelmed with casualties, and reflects on the emotional weight of hearing the stories of those who survived unimaginable violence, torture, and displacement. She also discusses the personal toll of returning home after witnessing war, the responsibility she believes healthcare workers have to “bear witness,” and how those experiences led her to help create Peace Med, a network of medical professionals advocating for humanitarian aid and a ceasefire.

In February of 2024 and again in 2025, Nurse Lana entered Gaza not just as a nurse, but as a witness to humanity’s breaking point. She worked in hospitals running on more hope than supplies. Each moment carved a scar into her heart, each life lost became a weight she still carries. In nursing, they say “if it wasn’t documented, it wasn’t done”. And with a heart forever scarred by genocide, she documented the cries, the chaos, and the courage, not in medical charts, but in a book. Her recently released book, “Healing Under Fire" is her testimony to what it felt like to work at the bedside of a genocide as a privileged American nurse.

In this conversation, we explore
- What medical workers witnessed inside Gaza’s hospitals
- The stories of injured civilians and former detainees
- The emotional and psychological toll of witnessing conflict
- The responsibility of healthcare workers to speak out
- The backlash and risks that can come with advocacy
- The resilience of Palestinians rebuilding amid devastation
- The creation of Peace Med and ongoing humanitarian efforts

Director: Dr. Ed Hasan | 2026