Retired NHS surgeon Professor Nizam Mamode has shared chilling testimony of his time in Gaza, where he treated children and civilians caught in Israel’s ongoing airstrikes and drone attacks. Mamode, who worked in Gaza’s Nasser Hospital for a month between August and September 2023, described his experiences as some of the most horrific he’s encountered, even surpassing his time working in conflict zones like Rwanda. He testified to the UK’s International Development Committee, recounting that “day after day after day” he operated on children who were deliberately targeted by Israeli drones, often following bomb attacks.
According to Mamode, the brutality of the attacks was evident in the number of casualties. On a daily basis, there were mass casualty incidents where at least 10-20 people were killed, with up to 40 more seriously injured. “Sixty percent of those treated were women and children,” he said, emphasizing the deliberate nature of these attacks. The drones would hover over the injured, picking off civilians, with children often reporting that they were targeted while lying on the ground after bombings. Mamode noted, “This is not an occasional thing. This was day after day after day.”
Destruction of Medical Infrastructure and Aid Blockades
The situation in Gaza’s medical facilities has become increasingly dire, with Mamode describing conditions that closely resemble those after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. “Most people in Gaza have been forced to move six or seven times,” he said, reflecting the chaos and displacement many residents are enduring. Hospitals like Nasser are overwhelmed, and basic medical supplies, including sterile gloves, painkillers, and even soap, are in critical shortage. Mamode was particularly disturbed by the lack of hygiene, as many wounds became infected with maggots. “One of my colleagues took maggots out of a child’s throat in intensive care,” he recounted.
Israel’s blockade has compounded the medical crisis, with aid convoys regularly targeted by Israeli forces. Mamode recounted how the Israeli military deliberately fired on UN convoys carrying medical supplies, resulting in the deaths of aid workers and the destruction of essential equipment. This blockade has not only hindered the delivery of life-saving supplies but has led to a collapse of healthcare infrastructure, exacerbating the suffering of civilians. The health conditions in Gaza are deteriorating rapidly, with widespread malnutrition, the spread of diseases like Hepatitis A, and an escalating medical emergency that has left many without hope.
Patterns of Targeted Killings: A War on Civilians
Mamode’s testimony included several horrifying accounts of drone attacks on children, painting a grim picture of the strategy behind Israel’s military actions. He spoke of the targeting of civilians with extraordinary precision, using drones that fired small cuboid pellets. These attacks often resulted in devastating injuries, with one child coming in with his stomach exposed and critical injuries to his liver, spleen, and bowel. Despite receiving treatment, Mamode expressed uncertainty about the child’s survival. The drones, Mamode suggested, likely used semi-autonomous technology to carry out such precise strikes, as evidenced by the pattern of injuries observed in victims.
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The deliberate targeting of children was not just a tragic accident, Mamode emphasized. He pointed out the pattern of injuries to the chest and groin, consistent with drone strikes aimed at non-combatants. He also shared the experience of treating a three-year-old girl with a severe neck injury, who ultimately died due to infection, a tragic consequence of the lack of medical supplies and sterile equipment in Gaza’s hospitals. “There is no question that the attacks were intentional,” Mamode stated unequivocally.
International Accountability and Humanitarian Crisis
The scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is staggering, with over 43,000 Palestinians killed and more than 100,000 injured since the conflict escalated in October 2023. The humanitarian situation has drawn significant international attention, with NGOs warning that Gaza is on the brink of collapse. Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP) and other organizations have warned that Gaza’s healthcare system is rapidly disintegrating, and without increased aid and international intervention, the situation will only worsen.
Despite these dire reports, international responses have been tepid. Following Mamode’s testimony, Labour MP Sarah Champion remarked that the evidence presented should prompt serious reconsideration of Israel’s actions, especially in terms of violating international humanitarian law. “On this evidence, the UK needs to take seriously the prospect of international humanitarian law having been egregiously broken in Gaza,” Champion stated. However, the US government has continued to back Israel, despite the mounting evidence of war crimes. The Biden administration recently announced that it would not limit arms transfers to Israel, despite calls from human rights organizations to curb military support.
The ongoing genocide, the targeting of civilians, and the blockade of essential aid have plunged Gaza into a deep humanitarian catastrophe. As the death toll continues to rise, the international community faces growing pressure to hold Israel accountable for its actions and to ensure that the people of Gaza receive the humanitarian support they desperately need.