As a surgeon, I volunteered at a Gaza hospital. The conditions were unthinkable. With a ground offensive in Rafah, people have nowhere to go.
In late January, I left my home in Virginia, where I work as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and joined a group of physicians and nurses traveling to Egypt with the humanitarian aid group MedGlobal to volunteer in Gaza. I have worked in other war zones. But what I witnessed during the next 10 days in Gaza was not war — it was annihilation. At least 28,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. From Cairo, Egypt’s capital, we drove 12 hours east to the Rafah border.
This surgeon was lucky, because his wife and daughter were still alive, although almost everyone else working in the hospital was mourning the loss of their loved ones. I began work immediately, performing 10 to 12 surgeries a day, working 14 to 16 hours at a time. The operating room would often shake from the incessant bombings, sometimes as frequent as every 30 seconds. We operated in unsterile settings that would’ve been unthinkable in the United States.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Northwestern law student says 2 American cousins taken hostage by Israeli forces in GazaNorthwestern University law student Yasmeen Elagha said her two cousins from suburban Lombard were kidnapped by Israeli soldiers in an early morning raid Thursday.
Read more »
Live blog: Biden calls Israel's Gaza response 'over the top'Israel's war on Gaza — now in its 126th day — has killed at least 27,840 Palestinians and wounded 67,317 others, as President Joe Biden says Israel's response in Gaza is over the top.
Read more »
Live blog: UN chief urges ceasefire in Gaza to avert 'gigantic tragedy'Israel's war on Gaza — now in its 125th day — has killed at least 27,840 Palestinians and wounded 67,317 others, as Hamas accuses PM Netanyahu of trying to prolong the war for the sake of his own political career.
Read more »
UN aid agency: Israel is holding up food for 1.1M Palestinians in GazaUNRWA operations have been threatened following Israeli accusations that some of its workers participated in Hamas's October 7 attack.
Read more »
Live blog: US 'complicit' in humanitarian disaster in Gaza: SenatorIsrael's war on Gaza — now in its 127th day — has killed at least 27,947 Palestinians and wounded 67,459 others, as US Senator Bernie Sanders calls US 'complicit' in the humanitarian crisis in the blockaded enclave.
Read more »