Warning: This story contains graphic and distressing content throughout.
Healthcare facilities in Gaza, which were already struggling, are now in disarray due to a sharp increase in Palestinian casualties following what local health officials describe as Israel’s most lethal bombing campaign in its 17-month offensive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated extensive airstrikes across Gaza early Tuesday, effectively breaking a fragile ceasefire that had been in place for two months with Hamas. Over 400 Palestinians were reported killed overnight, including at least 180 children, per the Gaza Health Ministry data.
Dr. Mohammed Qishta, who was at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, described the horrifying scene in a recording shared with Doctors Without Borders, stating, “We received many bodies and body parts, most of them children and women. The bodies were everywhere in the emergency room, with complete confusion.”
Doctors from Gaza and abroad relayed to HuffPost and aid groups the overwhelming stories of mass casualties they encountered throughout the week. The aftermath of continued bombardments compounded the existing difficulties of caring for the injured in hospitals that are only minimally operational.
Amid ongoing violence, Dr. Feroze Sidhwa recounted treating individuals with injuries resulting from previous attacks, including those wounded while attempting to retrieve relatives’ bodies from collapsed buildings. Supply shortages have become dire due to an Israeli blockade that has hindered the entry of essential goods, further straining healthcare efforts.
As the airstrikes ramped up, Sidhwa and his fellow medical staff prepared for a surge in casualties, with emergency rooms overwhelmed by patients needing immediate care. Many healthcare workers, grappling with trauma and emotional distress, witnessed the deaths of their own family members while working in the emergency room.
