A British surgeon working in southern Gaza has described harrowing scenes of destruction and suffering, likening the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave to a “slaughterhouse” as Israeli forces intensify their ground assault.
Dr. Tom Potokar, who is treating patients in the south, said medical teams are dealing with severe explosive injuries under constant bombardment. “It’s difficult to describe in words what’s happening here,” he said in a video message. “The constant sound of bombardment, jets overhead... it’s relentless.”
Overnight Israeli operations killed at least 130 people across northern and southern Gaza, further crippling the enclave’s overstretched health system. Several key hospitals have shut down, including the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia after sustaining heavy damage, and the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, which ceased operations last week.
Potokar recounted treating a young woman unaware that her entire family had been killed. “Another day of devastation here in Gaza,” he said. “The stories from the north, particularly around the Indonesian Hospital, are absolutely horrific.”
Israel’s campaign in Gaza began following the October 2023 Hamas-led attack that killed nearly 1,200 people. Since then, over 52,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health authorities, with hundreds of thousands more displaced or injured.
Amid the violence, a blockade on humanitarian aid imposed by Israel since March has raised international alarm. UN experts have warned of an imminent risk of mass starvation as access to food and medical supplies remains critically restricted.
Dr. Tom Potokar, who is treating patients in the south, said medical teams are dealing with severe explosive injuries under constant bombardment. “It’s difficult to describe in words what’s happening here,” he said in a video message. “The constant sound of bombardment, jets overhead... it’s relentless.”
Overnight Israeli operations killed at least 130 people across northern and southern Gaza, further crippling the enclave’s overstretched health system. Several key hospitals have shut down, including the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia after sustaining heavy damage, and the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, which ceased operations last week.
Potokar recounted treating a young woman unaware that her entire family had been killed. “Another day of devastation here in Gaza,” he said. “The stories from the north, particularly around the Indonesian Hospital, are absolutely horrific.”
Israel’s campaign in Gaza began following the October 2023 Hamas-led attack that killed nearly 1,200 people. Since then, over 52,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health authorities, with hundreds of thousands more displaced or injured.
Amid the violence, a blockade on humanitarian aid imposed by Israel since March has raised international alarm. UN experts have warned of an imminent risk of mass starvation as access to food and medical supplies remains critically restricted.
