Surgeon Describes Desperation in Gaza Amid Ongoing Crisis

Dr. Victoria Rose, a volunteer surgeon, reveals the tragic toll of conflict in Gaza as she witnesses unprecedented trauma and desperation.

In a powerful firsthand account, Dr. Victoria Rose, a senior plastic surgeon from London, reveals the shocking realities she faced while volunteering in Gaza this past May. Spending a grueling 21 days at Nasser Hospital, the last major functional facility in southern Gaza, she treated vast numbers of patients suffering from severe traumas amidst ongoing violence.

On June 1, Rose’s final day there, a mass shooting near a food distribution point overwhelmed the hospital. Describing the frantic scene, she said, "There were ambulances arriving with dead bodies, along with donkey-drawn carts bringing in the deceased." By 10 a.m., she noted, they were confronted with around 20 dead and over a hundred individuals with gunshot wounds.

Throughout her stint, Rose observed a healthcare system buckling under the pressure of unprecedented injuries caused by the escalating violence. Compared to previous trips to the region during the war, she noted a stark increase in patients suffering from catastrophic burns and life-threatening blast injuries from airstrikes. “These injuries are not just from shrapnel; whole body parts were missing,” she described. “Children were arriving with wounds that would change their lives forever — knees, feet, and hands gone.”

As the humanitarian crisis continues to unfold in Gaza, Dr. Rose’s experiences serve as a stark reminder of the profound impact of conflict on civilian lives, underscoring the urgent need for attention and support for those caught in the crossfire.