Dr. Nasser Abu El-Noor (Nāṣir Abū al-Nūr) (ناصر أبو النور) was a distinguished Palestinian nurse, academic, and health policy expert whose life was dedicated to the advancement of nursing education and the improvement of health care systems in Gaza and beyond. Dr Nasser served as Professor and Dean of the School of Nursing at the Islamic University of Gaza, where he was a central figure in developing clinical education and health research for over two decades.

Born in the al-Geneina neighborhood of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on 22 May 1964, Dr. Abu El-Noor attended local schools in Rafah before pursuing his passion for health care. He earned his bachelor’s degree in nursing from al-Quds University College of Nursing in 1996. Driven by a commitment to both practice and policy, he pursued further studies abroad, receiving his Master of Arts in Nursing Administration from Marquette University in 1998 and his PhD in Health Care Policy from the University of Akron in 2010.

His early career began as a general nurse at the Arab National Hospital in Gaza, where he worked from 1990 to 1997, eventually becoming a senior nurse. In 1996, he joined the Islamic University of Gaza as a clinical lecturer in the Faculty of Nursing. Over the years, he rose through academic and administrative ranks, serving in multiple leadership roles including Head of the Clinical Practice Department (2010–2011), Chairman of the Quality Improvement Committee (2011–2012), and Chairman of the Planning Committee (2012–2014), before ultimately becoming Dean of the School of Nursing.

Dr. Abu El-Noor was a prolific scholar, having authored and co-authored over 70 academic articles in English focusing on health care policy, nursing practice, post-traumatic stress disorder, and end-of-life care, areas of profound relevance in conflict-affected regions like Gaza. His work reflected a deep commitment to addressing the psychological and systemic challenges faced by patients and health care providers under siege and occupation. He was the editor of the Journal of Health Care and Prevention.

Dr. Nasser Abu El-Noor was killed on 21 February  2024, along with his wife, five children, and granddaughter, when an Israeli airstrike targeted their home in the al-Geneina neighborhood of Rafah.

Dr. Abu El-Noor is remembered not only for his academic and professional achievements, but for his steadfast dedication to his students, his community, and to the human right to health and dignity under even the most difficult circumstances.

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