Gaza Strip/ PNN
Volunteer doctors working in Gaza, which has been subjected to an Israeli genocide for over a year, described the scenes of horror they witnessed in several hospitals in the region.
According to The New York Times, the doctors confirmed that they saw children with gunshot wounds to the head or chest almost every day, without naming the hospitals or the duration of their work in Gaza.
The newspaper reported statements from American doctor Mohammed Rasoul Abu Nawar, who said he treated many children in the emergency room of the hospital where he worked.
He added, "During four hours one night, I saw six children aged between 5 and 12, with gunshot wounds to the skull."
In turn, Dr. Mark Perlmuter, an orthopedic specialist, told the same newspaper that he saw several children who had sustained gunshot wounds to the head and chest. Meanwhile, Dr. Irfan Jallaria stated that he was treating a number of children aged between 5 and 8 years who had been shot in the head, and that they all died.
Dr. Rania Afana said, "I saw a child with a gunshot wound to his jaw, and no other part of his body was affected. He was fully awake and aware of what was happening. While I was trying to suction blood with a broken device, he was looking at me, choking on his blood."
Dr. Khawaja Ikram described the horror she witnessed, saying, "One day, while I was in the emergency room, I saw two children, aged 3 and 5, with bullet holes in their heads."
She continued, "I learned that the children were told Israel had withdrawn from Khan Younis (in southern Gaza), and based on that, they returned home, but Israeli snipers shot at them."
Anesthesia and intensive care physician Ahliya Qattan stated that she saw an 18-month-old infant with a gunshot wound to her head. Her colleague, Dr. Nidal Farah, noted that children usually sustain gunshot wounds to the head, and most of them cannot be treated.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) stated on Saturday that the lives of children in the Middle East are being devastated by ongoing conflicts.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell emphasized in a statement published on the organization's website the need for all parties to commit to protecting civilians, particularly children, humanitarian workers, schools, and health facilities. She also stressed the importance of allowing unrestricted access to life-saving assistance for all parties involved.
She added that these commitments have been "clearly ignored" in the region, and that "children do not start wars and have no power to end them, but their lives are devastated by conflicts."
She continued, "Tens of thousands of children have been killed, thousands are still in captivity, displaced, orphaned, out of school, and suffering from psychological trauma due to violence and war."
The UNICEF Executive Director called for an end to violence against children.
The ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza has resulted in over 140,000 deaths and injuries, with more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and famine that has claimed the lives of many children and the elderly.
Israel, the occupying power, continues its massacres, ignoring the United Nations Security Council's resolution to cease them immediately, as well as orders from the International Court of Justice to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.
