Medical testimonies from and about Gaza

JVL introduction

It is difficult to convey the real nature the horror which Palestinians in Gaza have been experiencing – have been subjected to – since the war against them began in October.

You get some flavour of it in the two videos posted below, interviews with an Australian and an English doctor reporting on what they have found while working in Gaza.

And a measured editorial in the BMJ concludes that “it is notable that the proportion of women and children killed would be indistinguishable if Israel were known to be indiscriminately bombing civilians”.

(There may be a story in the fact that it was received on December 5, 2023, accepted for publication on January 2, 2024 and finally published on May 16, 2024…)

RK

Updated 26th May, adding Figure 2

Australian Doctor REVEALS Experience INSIDE Gaza

Australian Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr Aziz Bhimani recounts his first-hand experiences inside Gaza after participating in a United Nations humanitarian medical convoy.

23 May 2024

War Crimes Or Not? British Surgeon’s Testimony from Gaza

Khaled Dawas is a British-Palestinian surgeon who has a leadership role within one of Britain’s most prestigious hospitals. He provides his testimony and ask you to make your own mind up – are these war crimes? 

24 May 2024

Civilian mortality and damage to medical facilities in Gaza
Bram Wispelwey, David Mills, Yara M Asi et al

BMJ Global Health, 16th May 2024

In a measured Editorial statement in the British Medical Journal the urgent ethical issue of casualties during war is addressed and the question asked as to whether adequate precautions are being taken to safeguard civilians.

There may be a story in the fact that it was received on December 5, 2023, accepted for publication on January 2, 2024 and finally published on May 16, 2024.

Here, to give a flavour, are the opening and concluding paragraphs, and a screengrab of Figure 2.

“A fundamental principle of health ethics is the preservation of human life, though disagreements may arise on how this is best achieved in times of war. With ongoing events in Israel and Gaza, concerns have been raised about the betrayal of this core ethic. Because of the possibility of war crimes and the scale of Palestinian morbidity and mortality, the rate and sum of which are unprecedented in the 21st century and still growing, it is crucial to find a way to adjudicate two opposing claims. Is the Israeli military (a) taking appropriate precaution to avoid harming civilians, or (b) making no or insufficient attempt to avoid killing civilians?”

…

“Surveying Gaza’s mortality data in figure 2, [“Proportion of Women and Children Killed and Overall Numbers Killed in the Gaza Strip During the Wars of 2008-2009, 2012, 2014, 2021, and Oct-Nov 2023”] it is notable that the proportion of women and children killed would be indistinguishable if Israel were known to be indiscriminately bombing civilians. Considering this alongside the geospatial data, large bombs used in densely populated areas, and statements from Israeli military officials and politicians, we are left with strong reasons to believe that insufficient attempts are being made to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza. Because this would amount to a war crime and a plausible breach of the Genocide Convention,18 and because many Western governments have provided material and diplomatic support for Israel’s bombardments, we recommend that investigative and accountability mechanisms should be considered to address the roles of all complicit parties.”

Full statement here