“It turned into hell.” A British doctor recounts experiencing tragic scenes in Gaza

A British doctor who worked in the Gaza Strip expressed her concern and deep sadness about the tragic conditions that the residents of the Strip are going through in light of the continuation of the Israeli war since October 7, and called on the international community to prevent its aggravation and continuation.

British anesthesiologist Bersen Gaskell recounted the details of the tragic conditions in the Gaza Strip, which she witnessed during her two-week work in the Strip.

Gaskell entered Gaza, accompanied by a team from Doctors Without Borders, and joined health personnel in the city of Rafah (south) during the period between February 4 and 21, to provide medical services with limited capabilities to an area containing about 1.5 million displaced people.

She said that she decided to go to the Gaza Strip to “heal people’s wounds, even if only to a small extent,” after what she saw of killing, disability, and injuries affecting civilians.

Bombing and screaming

Gaskell said she was "broken down and saddened" by the continuous sounds of bombing, while hearing the cries of civilians, especially children.

She continued: "When I left the Gaza Strip, I felt as if I was abandoning them, and I felt guilty at the time. Personally, I had the option to leave the area, but they do not have that option, so they have not been able to leave yet."

The doctor expressed deep concern about the situation and fate of civilians there, adding that it is not easy for a person or a doctor to face situations like this.

"Hell on Earth"

Gaskell warned: “Gaza has truly turned into hell on earth, and is no longer livable in light of the deprivation of the basics of life, such as water, electricity, education, and health, in parallel with a state of chaos due to the possibility of anything happening inside the Strip.”

She pointed out that she entered many war and conflict zones in Yemen, Iraq, South Sudan and Nigeria, but she believes that the most difficult mission for her was in the Gaza Strip.

The doctor concluded her speech by saying: “What is happening in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe in every sense of the word, and there is no justification for this astonishment, pain and suffering,” demanding that it be prevented from continuing.

The devastating war waged by Israel on Gaza since October 7 has left tens of thousands martyred and injured, in addition to massive destruction of infrastructure and property, and the displacement of about two million Palestinians, according to Palestinian and UN data.