Harrowing testimonies from the heart of Gaza expose Israeli brutality
5 Min Read
Organizers describe how "Israel's" attacks on northern Gaza are some of the most savage and cruel assaults in its history of colonial domination.
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Palestinians load the bodies of their relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip on a truck to be buried at the cemetery in Deir al-Balah, on December 25, 2023. (AP)
The British Palestinian Committee (BPC) and the UK Gaza Community (UKGC) held a press conference in London Thursday, bringing together healthcare professionals and British-Palestinian voices to highlight the scope of "Israel's" deliberate devastation of Gaza amid an imposed media blackout.
The event, which took place yards from BBC Broadcasting House, emphasized that while mainstream media attention has shifted, the situation in northern Gaza continues to worsen, as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians face what the UN calls catastrophic starvation. The ongoing strikes are described as the most savage and cruel assaults in the history of "Israel's" colonial domination of Palestine, according to the organizers.
Mai Annan, appearing via video link from Gaza where she heads the Reviving Gaza Mutual Aid initiative, gave a harrowing depiction of random executions.
“We started hearing loudspeakers asking the men in the building to come out naked, then they asked the women and children to come out. They lined up the men, and the soldiers began firing at them randomly,” she expressed.
She explained how “many were killed, and some were wounded and left to bleed to death. Then they put all the women and children in one room and threw a gas grenade inside. It’s very clear to us that everyone is a target, and the plan is just to kill and kill more.”
Dr. Mahim Qureshi, a London-based vascular surgeon who returned in November after volunteering in Gaza, described the dire medical situation, detailing the degree of "overcrowding and lack of hygiene, lack of antibiotics and high level of antibiotic resistance means people cannot fight basic infections."
Qureshi revealed how little girls came with gunshot wounds to the head, while surgeons, who lacked basic neurosurgical equipment, were forced to drill through skulls with insufficient instruments in frantic attempts to save lives.
People 'eating grass and trees'
The Sameer Project's London-based coordinator, Hala Sabbah, detailed how aid has been weaponized through deliberate hunger. "Not only are the number of trucks limited they are making sure it’s not reaching the victims. Palestinians pay thousands to buy the basic necessities.”
Dr. Mohamed Ashraf, who operated in northern Gaza, provided shocking proof of medical staff being targeted, showing images of dead colleagues, including Dr. Mosab Sama, who was abducted from Nasser Hospital with no knowledge about his whereabouts, and Dr. Maisara Rais, who was killed and is currently buried beneath rubble with his family.
Ahmed Najjar, born in the Jabalia refugee camp to a father older than "Israel", testified that he had lived there for 55 years prior to the assault, detailing how this was not "just another military campaign" but rather “an attempt to erase an entire people. North of Gaza is stripped of its humanity and its home.”
He also recounted how his sister was ordered at gunpoint to abandon her child, while his brother stood there unable to do anything.
According to Dr. Loai Nasir, 400,000 Palestinians remain confined in northern Gaza, enduring serious food insecurity as Israeli authorities continue to reject aid delivery. Ibrahim Assalia spoke concerning the usage of unknown chemical agents, detailing how his father died after breathing in an Israeli chemical.
Having spoken with his relatives, he was informed that "they are dying of hunger" and that people are "feeding on grass and trees."
The conference also revealed new proof of Britain's complicity in "Israel's" war. A thorough analysis released by the BPC demonstrated how Britain's military infrastructure actively helps Israeli attacks.
Khem Rogaly stated that Britain's military cooperation "goes far beyond licensing exports," detailing how British parts of F35 fighters are critical to the frequent bombing campaign.
Qureshi revealed how chronic ailments are killing the people of Gaza, but their statistics are not included in the total death toll.
She stated that what she saw in the South could not be compared to the tragedy unfolding in the North. Healthcare staff reported doing surgeries without anesthesia, while Ashraf described physicians staring helplessly as patients perished from curable diseases owing to a shortage of essential medical supplies. The toll on medical workers has been both physical and mental, with many forced to deal with their own anguish while treating an unending stream of casualties.
According to estimates given at the conference, about 1,800 healthcare professionals have been slain since October 2023, with 319 now being arrested by IOF. Ashraf stated that he was educated to cope with crises but had never seen anything like the current scenario, in which no medical supplies make their way to Gaza.
Sabbah described how Gaza's famine is methodically produced. Purchasing veggies in northern Gaza now costs hundreds of dollars, she noted. "It's not a famine," she insisted. "It's manufactured starvation by Israel."
"I'm not asking Western leaders to see us as humans," Najjar said in his final words. Stop pretending, stop lecturing. We see through your hypocrisy. You think you can erase us – you will not, you will fail.”
