A doctor who mocked terrified Israelis fleeing Hamas gunmen is today facing calls to be suspended over her ‘repugnant’ comments.
MailOnline yesterday revealed how Dr Mennah Elwan stated ‘if it was your home, you would stay and fight’ in response to horrifying footage of Palestinian terrorists opening fire on innocent party-goers.
The neurology registrar also claimed ‘there are no civilians in Israel’ in her series of abhorrent posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism has now called for Dr Elwan to be suspended from the NHS and investigated by the UK’s medical regulator.
Meanwhile, a Tory source said she should face ‘immediate disciplinary action’ for the ‘sickening’ comments.
Dr Mennah Elwan in her British Medical Association kit during NHS industrial action organised by the union last week
Dr Elwan, a neurology registrar, posted on social media mocking people fleeing a massacre by Hamas at a music festival
The source added that the views posted by the medic — who appeared at a British Medical Association (BMA) rally on NHS pay this month — posed ‘serious questions’ about how the union is run.
It comes after a wave of protests about the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas.
One British pro-Palestine activist called the terror attacks over the weekend, where gunmen murdered and kidnapped Israeli civilians, ‘inspiring’ and ‘beautiful’ in a public rally.
Clashes also occurred last night between pro-Palestinian and Israel supporters in High Street Kensington, as police desperately tried to keep the peace.
A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism charity told this website there was no place in the NHS for comments like those made by Dr Elwan.
‘These despicable comments demonstrate, at a minimum, a lack of empathy unworthy of an employee of the NHS, and we shall be submitting a complaint to her regulator,’ they said.
‘But, at worst, rhetoric such as this fuels anti-Semitism in the UK, and we will also be exploring legal options. ‘
They added that such attitudes could make Jewish patients and staff feel unsafe in the NHS.
Dr Elwan has described herself as working at the NHS’s The Walton Centre, a major neurology hospital in Liverpool
‘The NHS has a responsibility to ensure that its patients, who are among the most vulnerable in society, feel safe,’ they said.
‘How can a Jewish person entrust their care to NHS doctors, nurses and other frontline medical workers who espouse repugnant views such as these?
‘Surely it is obvious that NHS staff, too, must be allowed to work in an environment free of people who defend the murder of innocent civilians, Jewish or otherwise.’
The spokesperson added that NHS staff who express such views should face an immediate sanction from their employer.
‘It flies in the face of the oaths that they have taken, and it should go without saying that anyone who expresses such language must immediately be suspended by the NHS and be investigated,’ they said.
A Tory source also told MailOnline that the comments from Dr Elwan were inexcusable and needed immediate NHS action.
‘This is a sickening comment from a BMA activist, who should face immediate disciplinary action,’ they said.
They added that her comments cast a cloud over the internal attitudes at the BMA, which has launched a series of devastating NHS strikes in recent months.
‘Given that it follows just months after one of the BMA’s leaders had to be suspended for vile anti-Semitic slurs, it suggests there are serious questions to answer about how this union is being run,’ they said.
Dr Elwan previously wrote how ‘great’ it was to attend a rally organised by the BMA in Manchester on October 3 to coincide with the Tory party conference.
On social media she wrote about ‘Manchester turning orange’ with the hashtag #BMAPayRally’ and pictures of her attending the event.
The BMA was contacted for comment, but previously told MailOnline that Dr Elwan’s comments ‘do not reflect its values’ they will be ‘investigating’ her post.
Strike action by medics has led to almost 1.2million NHS appointment cancellations, official figures show.
Comments by Dr Elwan come after a horrific series of attacks in Israel.
Some 900 Israeli soldiers and civilians — including 270 slaughtered at the same music festival Dr Elwan posted footage of — have been killed, with many more wounded.
In another post, Dr Elwan even shockingly claimed that ‘there are no civilians in Israel’ in apparent support of violence over the weekend
She also advocated for the removal of Israeli people from the country as an apparent soultion to the long-running conflict
Dr Elwan, an NHS medic part way through her training to become a neurology specialist recently boasted of taking in strike action that has devastated the NHS
Dr Elwan’s NHS employer, the Walton Centre — a major neurology site in Liverpool — has said it did not ‘support any behaviour that marginalises an individual or community’.
In response to footage of revellers running for their lives from the barbaric attack, Dr Elwan mocked those fleeing.
Reposting a terrifying clip of people attempting to dash to safety at the Supernova Festival, which took place close to the Gaza Strip, she wrote: ‘If it was your home, you would stay and fight. You wouldn’t just run away.’
Egyptian-trained Dr Elwan then closed off her statement with a smiley emoji.
People can be heard screaming as shots are fired while police are seen trying to help people evacuate.
Other footage from the incident has since emerged showing gunmen executing civilians as they lay in the sand before rifling through their pockets.
Corpses of victims have since been piled up in makeshift tents as Israeli emergency responders work to identify the remains.
In another post, Dr Elwan also appeared to support the wave of horrific violence towards Israeli civilians and tourists over the weekend.
She wrote: ‘Israel kills Palestinians everyday, didn’t see anyone caring’, again ending the statement with a smiley face emoji.
Dr Elwan went on to add: ‘Also, there are no civilians in Israel.’
In another post, a reply to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressing his support Israel, she said the UK should simply take the Israeli population away from Palestine.
‘Just take all the Israelis to the UK from terrorist Palestine a win for everyone, no?’ she wrote.
MailOnline approached Dr Elwan about her posts — but she made her profile private after this website reached out to her.
A fireball erupts from an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 9, 2023
Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli airstrike on the Sousi mosque in Gaza City on October 9, 2023
Britain’s medical regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC), which has the power to officially sanction medics for inappropriate behaviour, yesterday said its standards apply to posts made by medics on social media.
Standards state medics should ‘make sure that your conduct justifies your patients’ trust in you and the public’s trust in the profession’.
A spokesman for the regulator added: ‘The GMC can investigate where there are concerns that patient safety or the public’s confidence in doctors may be at risk and take action if needed.’
Survivors of the music festival massacre have since posted chilling footage of hiding in nearby vegetation for hours as they penned goodbyes to their families, not believing they would see them again.
Israeli authorities have asked distraught relatives of those missing to bring personal items such as combs and toothbrushes so investigators can attempt to match their DNA to bodies.
The massacre was one just one of many bloody attacks launched by Hamas after the group infiltrated communities in Israel’s south.
One of those captured at the music festival was 30-year-old German tattoo artist Shani Louk.
Her lifeless, half-naked body was paraded on the back of a Hamas pick-up truck as terrorists sat on top of her and jeered following the violent incursion.
Dr Elwan’s comments aren’t the only ones to spark outrage in Britain.
MailOnline yesterday revealed that a pro-Palestine activist who called Hamas terror attacks against Israel ‘inspiring’ and ‘beautiful’ is an elected Women Students’ officer at the University of Sussex students’ union.
Hanin Barghouti was seen addressing a crowd by the Clock Tower in Brighton during a protest organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign on Saturday — just a day after terrorists began murdering and kidnapping Israeli civilians.
Describing herself as a Palestinian, Ms Barghouti said: ‘Yesterday was a victory.
‘For freedom fighters to break out of a 15-year blockade so successfully under the inhuman genocide of Israel was so beautiful and inspiring to see.
Mourners react as they pray during the funeral of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip October 10, 2023
Hamas militants abducted up to 150 people, including women and children, from Israeli territory and dragged them back in Gaza amid their ruthless slaughter
‘It shows the world we will always fight and always resist and we need to celebrate these acts of resistance because this was a success.’
She added: ‘Revolutionary violence initiated by Palestinians is not terrorism — it is self-defence…’
Her words were greeted by applause and several cheers.
Today, a University of Sussex spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘We have received a complaint about a Sussex student expressing views on the recent attacks by Hamas in Israel.
‘The University is currently seeking to establish the facts, and, if necessary, will take action in line with our policies and the law.’
Police last night arrested three people following pro-Palestine protests held near to Israel’s embassy in Kensington.
Of those arrested, one was taken in for assault on an emergency worker.
Pro-Palestinian and Israeli supporters also clashed at High Street Kensington station as police officers attempted to separate both groups.
Fireworks were seen launched by protesters — some towards the boarded up Israeli embassy.
There were banners from the Liverpool Friends of Palestine, which is not affiliated to the Labour Party.
Hanin Barghouti – Women Students’ Officer at the University of Sussex students’ union – called Hamas attacks ‘inspiring’ and ‘beautiful’
A paramedic holds a little girl with her face full of blood and dirt from the effects of the bombing of Israeli planes in Gaza on Monday
In stark contrast to the dancing, singing and flares in Kensington, and other heated protests across the UK, weeping Israelis gathered outside Downing Street to hold a vigil for the victims and hostages taken by Hamas, who launched a violent assault over the Gaza border on Saturday.
Mr Sunak also visited a London synagogue to show his support for Israel.
The PM condemned Hamas in a joint statement with his French, German, American and Italian counterparts.
Some speakers also held a rally outside the Labour party conference defending the terrorists’ incursion into Israel.
Banners from the Liverpool Friends of Palestine, which is not affiliated to the Labour Party, were held by demonstrators yesterday.
In fiery scenes, one Labour member took on around 100 of the flag-waving crowd, telling them they were apologists for murder and should be ashamed of themselves.
They responded by booing, chanting ‘racist Israel’ and demanding he be removed by police — which officers refused to do.
Security is currently being ramped up across the UK amid fears spiralling violence in the Middle East will fuel a rise in anti-Semitic hate crime.
‘Free Palestine’ was seen daubed onto bridges this morning in Golders Green, home to London’s largest Jewish community. Patrols have been increased in London.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has called for police to ‘use the full force of the law’ against displays of support for Hamas, which is a proscribed terror group.
Israel overnight began a series of retaliatory strikes on the Gaza strip, with its leaders ordering a ‘complete siege’, cutting off food and electricity to its residents.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has declared an intention to obliterate Hamas as he metes out revenge for the deadly surprise attacks over the weekend.
Thousands of protesters have gathered outside the Israel Embassy in London chanting ‘free free Palestine ‘ and lighting flares
Palestinian and Israeli supporters have clashed at a London Underground station as police desperately try and keep the peace
Video showed dozens of police officers attempting to divide demonstrators at High Street Kensington Tube station while a pro-Palestine rally took place outside
Netanyahu, who first came to power in Israel in 1996 and has served three separate terms, compared Hamas to the Islamic State group and said Israel planned to deploy ‘unprecedented force’ that would ‘reverberate for generations’.
‘We have only started striking Hamas,’ Netanyahu, 73, said in a nationally televised address late last night.
‘What we will do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations.
Thousands of Hamas targets have already been wiped out in brutal aerial bombing campaigns, Israeli defence officials claimed.
However, harrowing clips circulating social media showed how rockets and bombs also obliterated Palestinian residential blocks, killing civilians.
Military spokesman Richard Hecht claimed security forces had ‘more or less restored control over the border’ with Gaza.
The measures will essentially enact siege-like conditions that will see the roughly 2m Palestinians living in the tiny, fenced-in region begin to starve as they are attacked from the skies.
The four-day-old war has already claimed at least 1,600 lives.
Israel saw gun battles in the streets of its own towns for the first time in decades and neighbourhoods in Gaza were reduced to rubble.
In a response to the savage aerial bombardment of Gaza, Hamas warned late last night it would begin executing Israeli civilian captives.
‘Every targeting of our people without warning will be met with the execution of one of the civilian hostages,’ Hamas’ armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement.
Hamas militants abducted up to 150 people, including women and children, from Israeli territory and dragged them back in Gaza amid their ruthless slaughter.
‘We have decided to put an end to this and as of now, we declare that any targeting of our people in their homes without prior warning will be regrettably faced with the execution of one the hostages of civilians we are holding,’ Abu Obaida, spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, later added in a recording released to Al Jazeera.
The surprise weekend attack by Hamas left a death toll unseen since the 1973 war with Egypt and Syria, fomenting calls for Israel to crush Hamas no matter the cost, rather than continuing to try to bottle it up in Gaza.
Israel is run by its most hard-right government ever, dominated by ministers who adamantly reject Palestinian statehood.
Hamas, in turn, says it is ready for a long battle to end an Israeli occupation that it says is no longer tolerable.
Desperation has grown among Palestinians, many of whom see nothing to lose under unending Israeli control and increasing settler depredations in the West Bank, the blockade in Gaza and what they see as the world’s apathy.
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