Testimonies from Gaza must serve pursuit of justice, British medic says after return

LONDON (AA) — Dr. James Smith, an emergency medical doctor, recently returned to the UK from his two-week stint at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza.

As casualty numbers continued to rise with each passing day, Smith and his team worked tirelessly alongside Palestinian healthcare workers as they witnessed scenes of unparalleled trauma and resilience.

In an interview, he described the grim reality of the hospital— overflowing with patients with open chest wounds, abdominal injuries, traumatic amputations, severe burns.

“What we saw there was unlike anything I have experienced as a medical doctor in my career so far.

“I was working in the emergency room most of the time, and we were seeing on a daily basis, several hundreds of patients,” Smith recounted.

Al-Aqsa Hospital, though functioning, has faced immense challenges in providing adequate care.

“We were a team of two surgeons, one anesthetics nurse, one obstetrician, one pediatrician, and myself,” said Smith.

Together, they navigated through overwhelming patient loads, treating both traumatic injuries inflicted by military forces and non-trauma related medical issues exacerbated by the healthcare system’s collapse.

The emergency room became a battleground for life and death, with hundreds of patients flooding in daily, their conditions ranging from severe trauma to critical medical emergencies.

Smith vividly recalled the sight of children and adults with devastating injuries, including traumatic amputations and deep, extensive burns, many of which were un-survivable under any circumstances.

– Testimonies from Gaza must serve pursuit of justice –

The doctor also highlighted the value of testimonies by hundreds of healthcare workers, journalists, and citizens who witnessed and documented firsthand accounts of the situation in Gaza.

“We have to ensure that what we’ve witnessed and what we’ve seen is used in a pursuit of justice and peaceful resolution of what’s happening in Palestine,” he said.

– Dedication of Gaza’s healthcare workers –

Yet through the chaos and despair, Smith says he found inspiration in the unwavering dedication of Gaza’s healthcare workers. Despite personal risks and daily bombardment, these brave individuals continued to show up for work, often on empty stomachs and minimal sleep, to provide care to their fellow Palestinians.

“The determination of healthcare workers in the hospital to continue providing medical care, even when resources were limited, was incredibly memorable to me,” reflected Smith.

Expressing his longstanding concern for the plight of Palestinians, Smith emphasized the need for global attention to the situation in Palestine.

His journey to Gaza was not just a professional duty but a deeply personal commitment to contribute, albeit in a small way, to health care in the enclave amid the crisis.

“I’ve always felt very passionately about what’s happening in Palestine, the future of Palestine. I’ve followed what’s happening in Palestine throughout my teenage and now adult years. I’ve always had an interest in in working there at some point in my career,” he explained.

– UNRWA a lifeline for millions of Palestinians –

Smith underscored that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, performs indispensable functions as a “lifeline” for millions of Palestinians, offering vital support ranging from education for children to crucial medical services.

Condemning any decision to suspend funding for the organization, as several countries including the US and Britain have done in recent weeks, he labeled such actions as not only “reckless but also complicit” in violence against Palestinians, especially after an order by the UN’s top court to facilitate humanitarian access to Gaza.