Medical officials and humanitarian workers in Gaza say they are being overwhelmed by near-daily “mass casualty incidents” linked to Israeli fire on Palestinians attempting to access food and aid.
Doctors report that the majority of the wounded they treat were injured while trying to reach distribution hubs, including those run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial, US and Israeli-backed organisation that began distributing food in late May.
Others have been hurt in chaotic scenes surrounding United Nations aid convoys, which are often looted amid desperate hunger and disorder.
Dr Mohammed Saqr, Director of Nursing at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, described the situation as apocalyptic.
“The scenes are truly shocking; they resemble the horrors of Judgment Day. Sometimes within just half an hour, we receive over 100 to 150 cases, ranging from severe injuries to deaths,” he told The Guardian. “About 95% of these injuries and deaths come from food distribution centres, which are referred to as the ‘American food distribution centres’.”
Gaza says 640 Palestinians killed in over 4 weeks
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, between 27 May and 2 July, at least 640 Palestinians were killed and over 4,500 injured at or near aid distribution sites.
The injuries, many involving gunshot wounds to the chest, head, and limbs, are straining a healthcare system already decimated by 21 months of war.
“Every bed is occupied,” said Saqr. “We are forced to treat patients on the floor.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said its 60-bed field hospital in Rafah has treated more than 2,200 weapon-wounded patients since the new aid distribution system began. Over 200 of those patients died.
“The scale and frequency of these incidents are without precedent,” the ICRC said. “Among the wounded are toddlers, teenagers, elderly, mothers and overwhelmingly, young men and boys. Most say they were simply trying to get food or aid for their families.”
UK-Med, which operates an 86-bed hospital in al-Mawasi, also reported a significant influx of patients wounded while trying to access aid.
Dr Clare Jeffrys, a British emergency medicine specialist, recounted the testimony of one patient who suffered severe abdominal wounds after picking up a food box.
“Since I arrived, there have been a lot of gunshot injuries,” she said. “They tell me how they were injured, and say it was at or near food distribution sites.”
Conflicting claims
The GHF has denied responsibility for any injuries, stating that there have been “no incidents or fatalities” at its four operating sites during distribution hours.
In a statement, the organisation said it had distributed 62 million meals and was committed to delivering aid “safely and without interference”.
The Israeli military also maintains that it does not deliberately target civilians and adheres to international law. However, following a Haaretz report quoting soldiers who described orders to fire on civilians at aid sites, the Israeli Defence Forces said it was reviewing its conduct in such operations.
A healthcare system on the brink
Gaza’s health infrastructure has been devastated since the conflict began in October 2023, following a Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage.
Since then, over 57,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health authorities. Nearly half of the enclave’s 36 hospitals are now non-operational, and the remaining are functioning at minimal capacity.
“We are really struggling,” said Dr Jeffrys. “We are running out of essential medical supplies, painkillers, antibiotics, anaesthetics. For some things, there is just zero stock.”
Hospitals are also crippled by fuel shortages, which threaten to shut down life-saving generators.
“In previous rotations, we worked on 8 to 10 cases a day. Now it’s 30 to 40,” said Haitam al-Hasan, an operating theatre nurse at the ICRC’s Rafah hospital.
The majority of recent injuries are caused by gunfire, with patients suffering complex trauma, blast injuries, and amputations.
“We have people screaming, rushing, trying to be the first in line because, of course, everybody wants to be treated first,” al-Hasan added.
Heavy toll on medical workers
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 1,580 doctors and medical personnel have been killed during the war. On 2 July, an Israeli airstrike killed Dr Marwan al-Sultan, a prominent cardiologist and director of the Indonesian hospital in Gaza.
Also among the dead in the past 50 days: three other doctors, two chief nurses, one of Gaza’s most senior midwives, a senior radiology technician, and dozens of trainee medics.
As the conflict rages on and the humanitarian crisis deepens, Gaza’s medics, exhausted, under-resourced, and increasingly endangered, remain on the front lines of a catastrophe with no end in sight.
