Gaza Hospitals Paralyzed by Blockade as Doctors Recount Atrocities
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - US doctors who served in Gaza recounted harrowing experiences of patients enduring untreated diseases and famine, with hospitals forced to cease operations due to depleted supplies.
Doctors Against Genocide, an NGO based in Washington, DC, held a conference to amplify the voices of healthcare professionals who witnessed the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. Physicians described the devastation, forced famine, and medical shortages resulting from Israel’s military actions and blockade, emphasizing the urgent need for international intervention.
The conference highlighted the deteriorating situation in Gaza, with health workers recounting firsthand experiences of hospitals bombed, untreated diseases spreading, and mounting psychological trauma. One medical volunteer shared a story about a pregnant friend in Gaza who, despite years of trying to conceive, expressed a desire for death due to the dire conditions.
“She told me they haven't had food for ten days. They're eating moldy bread with bugs and disgusting canned food because there's no alternative,” the volunteer said. “This should be the happiest time of her life, but instead, she wishes for death.”
Healthcare services in a northern Gaza hospital have come to a halt due to a lack of essential medical supplies, the doctors reported. They criticized the blockade imposed by the Israeli military, which has prevented humanitarian aid from entering the besieged enclave.
“I’ve worked in disaster zones like Aleppo and Haiti, but this is the first time I’ve seen aid so close yet inaccessible,” said John Kahler, a pediatrician. “There are thousands of trucks waiting, but the Israeli forces control the borders and won’t let anything through.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) also stated that Israel has blocked medical specialists from entering Gaza, offering no explanation for denying entry to partner organizations.
Meanwhile, Western leaders continue to reject the official Palestinian casualty figures, which estimate nearly 45,000 deaths and over 100,000 injuries. However, a study published in The Lancet suggests that the actual death toll may be five times higher.
A group of 99 American doctors dismissed claims that Hamas was using hospitals for military purposes. “We have witnessed crimes beyond comprehension,” the group said in a joint statement.
The destruction of infrastructure and shortages of essential resources have compounded the health crisis in Gaza, with famine looming. Experts warn that even if the conflict ends immediately, the long-term impact on mental health and grief will persist for decades, affecting the population until at least 2070.
