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Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find distressing
Gaza Hospitals Overwhelmed by Casualties Amidst Renewed Conflict
A U.S. surgeon, recently returned from a three-week deployment in Gaza, reports that Palestinian patients with injuries have succumbed to their wounds due to critical shortages of medical resources. Hospitals in Gaza are facing dire circumstances as the Israeli offensive against Hamas intensifies, leading to tragic and preventable loss of life.
Critical Shortages Plague Gaza Healthcare Facilities
Dr. Mark Perlmutter recounts operating in environments severely lacking essential supplies. He witnessed medical professionals working in operating rooms without basic necessities such as soap, antibiotics, and functioning x-ray facilities. This scarcity of resources directly resulted from the ongoing conflict and restrictions on aid entering Gaza.
Childhood Casualties of Conflict
Among the numerous patients Dr. Perlmutter treated was a 15-year-old girl wounded by Israeli gunfire while riding her bicycle. This is just one instance highlighting the devastating impact of the conflict on Palestinian children and civilians in Gaza.
Israel’s Stated Objectives
The Israeli government asserts that its military actions in Gaza are necessary to compel Hamas to release remaining hostages. However, the humanitarian cost of these operations is increasingly evident, particularly in the severely strained healthcare system.
Surgeon’s Testimony: Gaza’s Medical Crisis Deepens
Speaking after his recent mission – his second to Gaza – Dr. Perlmutter voiced strong criticism of Israel’s actions in the region. He reiterated his previous calls for an arms embargo and characterized the attacks on Gaza as genocide, accusations Israel firmly denies.
Al-Aqsa and Nasser Hospitals Under Strain
During this deployment, Dr. Perlmutter served at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, and later at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza. His experience provides a firsthand account of the conditions within these vital, yet overburdened, medical centers.
Working Amidst Attacks and Limited Resources
Dr. Perlmutter’s work with Humanity Auxilium, within a World Health Organization (WHO) framework, placed him directly in the path of danger. He was present at Nasser Hospital when it sustained an Israeli air strike purportedly targeting Ismail Barhoum, a Hamas financial figure.
Conflicting Accounts of Hospital Incident
Hamas stated Barhoum was receiving treatment for prior injuries. Conversely, the Israeli military claimed he was using the hospital to orchestrate acts of terrorism. Dr. Perlmutter confirmed Barhoum was indeed a patient requiring continued medical care and, as such, entitled to protection under the Geneva Convention.
Human Cost: Devastating Injuries to Children
Dr. Perlmutter highlighted the humanitarian crisis through the cases of two 15-year-olds treated in separate hospitals within a week. Both suffered catastrophic injuries indicative of attacks by Apache gunships.
Graphic Details of Attacks on Civilians
“They were both macerated and shredded by Apache gunships,” Dr. Perlmutter stated, describing the severity of their wounds. The young girl on the bicycle faces potential amputation of multiple limbs. The boy, traveling with his grandmother after evacuation warnings, was also attacked. His grandmother perished at the scene, and he sustained life-altering injuries, including limb loss and severe internal trauma.
Dr. Perlmutter has shared graphic images documenting the extent of these injuries.
IDF Statement on Civilian Casualties
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement asserting that they “do not target uninvolved individuals.” They maintain adherence to international law, targeting only military objectives and taking feasible measures to minimize harm to civilians.
The IDF indicated a lack of “sufficient information” to specifically address the incidents Dr. Perlmutter described but stated they investigate irregular incidents and take corrective actions when warranted.
Palestinian Medical Staff: Dedication Amidst Despair
Dr. Perlmutter emphasized the extraordinary dedication of Palestinian medical personnel. He noted their unwavering commitment, surpassing even that of international volunteers, amidst unimaginable pressures.
Unrelenting Stress and Scarcity
“The stress levels… are insane,” he remarked, referring to Palestinian medical students, nurses, technicians, and surgeons. They work tirelessly, often without pay, enduring the same long hours as foreign staff, but without the prospect of eventual respite and return home. They return to overcrowded tent encampments with minimal sanitation and resources.
Gaza’s Healthcare System on the Brink
Most hospitals in Gaza are either non-functional or operating at severely reduced capacity. Dr. Perlmutter compared the overwhelmed Gaza facilities to trauma centers in North Carolina, stating that even well-equipped Western hospitals would struggle to manage the influx of casualties seen in Gaza.
Lack of Equipment Leads to Preventable Deaths
He specifically cited Al-Aqsa Hospital, a small facility ill-equipped to handle the scale of injuries. “Because of lack of equipment, many, many of those patients died who would certainly not have died at a better equipped hospital,” Dr. Perlmutter lamented.
UN Warns of Dire Humanitarian Situation
The UN humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, described the current situation in Gaza as catastrophic. Cargo entry points have been closed since early March, with food rotting, medicine expiring, and essential medical supplies stranded at the border.
Aid Blockade and Ceasefire Negotiations
Israel closed border crossings on March 2nd, citing Hamas’s rejection of a U.S.-backed proposal to extend the initial phase of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement, opting against further negotiations.
“Bombing People in Tents”
Dr. Perlmutter observed that the renewed Israeli offensive mirrored the intensive bombardments from a year prior, with a grim shift: “instead of bombing people in buildings, they were bombing people in tents.”
IDF Claims of Hamas Activity in Civilian Areas
The Israeli army routinely asserts that Hamas operates within civilian areas. While stating they do not target civilians directly, and take precautions, the reality on the ground, as described by Dr. Perlmutter, paints a starkly different picture regarding civilian casualties.
International Criminal Court Investigation
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, alleging war crimes. These individuals are accused of “intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population,” charges they deny.
Gaza Casualty Figures
The Hamas-run health ministry reports that Israeli attacks have killed over 15,000 Palestinian children in Gaza. Since breaking the ceasefire on March 18th, an additional 921 Palestinians have been killed, according to the ministry.
Urgent Need for Medical Supplies
Dr. Perlmutter warns that further mass casualty events, coupled with the severe shortages in the hospitals where he worked, will inevitably lead to more Palestinian deaths from treatable injuries. The urgent need for medical supplies and humanitarian access is critical to mitigating this escalating humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.