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A San Carlos-based doctor who was scheduled for a two-week humanitarian trip to Gaza has finally returned to the Bay Area four weeks after arriving in the war-torn region.
Dr. Haleh Sheikholeslami, who is a specialist in family medicine at Sutter Health – Palo Alto Medical Foundation in San Carlos, departed four weeks ago to help civilians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war in what she anticipated to be a two-week trip, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations – California San Francisco (CAIR-SF).
Sheikholeslami was set to return to the United States in early May. However, her humanitarian trip was unexpectedly extended due to a lack of timely communication regarding the evacuation arrangements.
She relocated to the coast in early May following the closure of the Rafah border with Egypt.
When 17 medical professionals evacuated Gaza on May 17, Dr Sheikholeslami and two other doctors were left stranded in Gaza. Her family and CAIR-SF launched a campaign to assist in her return.
The campaign included outreach to Sen. Ben Cardin and U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo.
She had previously taught as an adjunct professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Her family said that she was finally able to secure a return on May 24 and returned home on Saturday, May 25.