A Surgeon’s Heart-Wrenching Experience in Gaza: “They’re Fighting for Food”

Dr. Victoria Rose, a senior plastic surgeon from London, provides a chilling account of her experiences treating victims of violence and hunger during her 21-day volunteer mission in Gaza.

Dr. Victoria Rose, a seasoned plastic surgeon from London, recounts her harrowing experience during a 21-day volunteer mission in Gaza as part of a British charity. On June 1, as she neared the end of her stay, she encountered chaos at a food distribution point, where reports surfaced of a mass shooting resulting in numerous casualties.

Arriving at Nasser Hospital, the last functioning major hospital in southern Gaza, she found herself in an overwhelming scene filled with ambulances and donkey-drawn carts delivering the deceased. By mid-morning, the hospital received around twenty dead bodies and an alarming number of gunshot wound cases.

Throughout her time in Gaza, Dr. Rose observed an alarming escalation in severe injuries among her patients, many of whom suffered horrific burns or dismemberment due to bomb blasts. “They weren’t just shrapnel wounds anymore — body parts were missing,” she stated, describing the extent of trauma faced by children and adults alike.

Dr. Rose’s visit highlighted the desperation driven by not only violence but also the dire hunger faced by the people of Gaza. Her experiences, compounded by the anguish of those battling for basic necessities, paint a grim picture of the region's current humanitarian crisis amidst ongoing conflict.