Palestinian Hotel Becomes Refuge for Gaza Patients, Slovenian President Hailed

Navaf Hamed, a Palestinian with deep ties to Slovenia, has transformed his Retno hotel in Ramallah into a sanctuary for critically ill patients evacuated from Gaza. Hamed, who studied architecture in Yugoslavia and worked in Slovenia in the 1980s, previously ran the hotel as a cultural hub. Now, it houses 120 patients who cannot return to Gaza due to the ongoing conflict.

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We are watching genocide in Gaza. We are watching and we are silent.

The situation for the patients is harrowing. Each day brings news of the deaths of loved ones back home. One mother, who came to Ramallah for her sick daughter, has received successive reports of her husband's death and her other children being left to fend for themselves amidst explosions and hunger.

Hamed's decision to open his doors was not easy, but he describes the nightly sounds of weeping from the rooms as a constant reminder of the suffering. His efforts have not gone unnoticed, particularly by Palestinians who feel a profound connection to Slovenia.

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Your president is an exceptional woman. Your president is a woman with a big heart. You cannot imagine what this meant for all of us here.

Many Palestinians expressed deep gratitude for Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar's speech at the European Parliament, where she spoke of witnessing a 'genocide' in Gaza. Hamed and others view her as an exceptional leader with a big heart, the only European head of state to voice such strong criticism. This sentiment was echoed by others across Palestine, from farmers to filmmakers, who felt seen and supported by Slovenia's stance.

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It is difficult. Every evening when I go for a walk around the hotel, I hear crying from the rooms.