JERUSALEM (JTA) — A Palestinian doctor whose three daughters were killed during Israeli’s Gaza offensive was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Dr. Ezzeldeen Abu al-Aish’s nomination was announced Monday by Belgium’s state secretary. The gynecologist, 55, who trained in Israel and speaks Hebrew, also received a letter from the Nobel committee.
Israel’s Minority Affairs Minister Professor Avishay Braverman called the doctor to congratulate him.
"I wouldn’t call my first response joy, personally it is not joyous, but it does encourage me to hope for the two people. This prize will make my tragedy into something positive for the human race. It is a victory for intelligence, a victory for hope for positive change for our two people," he told Ynet.
The IDF shelled the al-Aish home after troops were fired on by snipers which the soldiers believed were being directed by observers on the home’s roof, according to an IDF investigation.
