The Israeli military said that in its strikes on Jabaliya, it had been targeting Hamas commanders who played key roles in the attacks on Oct. 7, which Israeli officials said killed more than 1,400 people. The military also said that Hamas had an extensive tunnel network in Jabaliya.
On Wednesday, Dr. Abu Safyia said, he was working with a colleague in the hospitalтАЩs neonatal intensive-care unit тАФ one of two units that still had power amid a severe fuel shortage тАФ when casualties from Jabaliya started arriving.
When they rushed down to the emergency room to help, he said, his colleague was stunned to see that two of her own children were among the dead. Her 9-year-old and 7-year-old had been killed in their home, he said, along with several of her siblings and relatives.
тАЬWe are working at a place where at any moment we expect our children, spouses, siblings or friends to come in in pieces,тАЭ he said.
Some children could not be identified because of the severity of their injuries, he said. The hospitalтАЩs morgue was so full that people were stacking bodies on top of one another.
тАЬWe wish for death,тАЭ said Dr. Abu Safyia. тАЬIt is easier than seeing the horrific scenes weтАЩre witnessing.тАЭ
He later added: тАЬLive images are being broadcast to the whole world of people blown up into pieces, of women and children who are being murdered, for what? What did they do wrong?тАЭ
The hospital, which is in the city of Beit Lahia, just north of Jabaliya, was running extremely low on medical supplies, like all others in the Gaza Strip, he said. With no anesthesia, doctors were operating on people with severe injuries using over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol to help ease the pain. They had a limited supply of antibiotics and were using vinegar and chlorine to disinfect wounds, the doctor added.
тАЬThe childrenтАЩs screams during surgeries can be heard from outside,тАЭ Dr. Abu Safyia said. тАЬWe are operating on peopleтАЩs skulls without anesthesia.тАЭ
