British Surgeon Stunned by Gaza Situation, as Jordan's King Warns of Orphaned Generation
A British surgeon leading a medical team in Gaza's Al-Aqsa hospital has witnessed an unimaginable crisis, describing it as the worst he has encountered Meanwhile, Jordan's king raises concerns about Israel's airstrikes, fearing the creation of a generation of orphans
A British surgeon who led an emergency medical team in central Gaza described the situation at Al-Aqsa hospital as the worst he has ever seen in his career. Dr. Nick Maynard stated that there were multiple traumatic amputations of children and horrific burns unlike any he had witnessed before. He also mentioned that the increased Israeli military activity led to his team's withdrawal from the hospital. Jordan's monarch also warned that Israel's bombardment was creating an entire generation of orphans.
He emphasized the grim humanitarian crisis and shortage of medical supplies in the Palestinian enclave after over three months of Israeli bombardment, stating that there is often no pain relief available for these patients. "I've never seen anything like this before. I never imagined I would witness such a horrifying situation," Maynard commented from Cairo, where he had departed Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has consistently stated that it does not target civilians. Additionally, the IDF has accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals, as shields for their attacks on Israel, and believes that targeting these locations is necessary to eliminate Hamas from the enclave. While Israel has also claimed that some hospitals are being used as command centers, the evidence to support this assertion is limited.
The operations of the IDFs have sparked controversy, with humanitarian organizations cautioning that an increasing number of medical facilities in Gaza are no longer able to offer essential services.
"I've been visiting Gaza for almost 15 years and I have numerous friends who are employed in hospitals there. There are numerous instances of hospitals being targeted. In the last two days since I left Al-Aqsa hospital, there have been attacks on the hospital," Maynard told CNN.
The British surgeon had been in Gaza for two weeks, an experience he described as "frightening," saying his team pulled out as the conflict came closer.
An injured Palestinian child taken to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza for treatment on December 23, 2023.
Ashraf Amra/Anadolu/Getty Images/File
"He informed us of an attack on the intensive care unit," he said. "We were already planning to leave around that time, but the next morning, we were told by the Israeli Defense Forces that the entire area was no longer part of the de-confliction zone and we were not permitted to leave."
CNN has contacted the Israeli military for comment but has not received a response yet.
The doctor reported that both Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), were working at the hospital but had to leave due to increasing Israeli military activity. On Sunday, MAP and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) emergency medical team also announced their withdrawal from Al-Aqsa Hospital.
Maynard and his team departed from Gaza out of concern for their safety, expressing worry that the hospital may not have enough staff to operate effectively. Head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized the significance of Al-Aqsa hospital in central Gaza and called for the protection of medical personnel and their families, emphasizing the importance of keeping the facility operational.
An entire generation of orphans
The bombardment of Gaza by Israel was in response to Hamas's brutal assault on October 7, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of over 200 individuals.
Since then, approximately 1% of Gaza's population has been killed, with at least 23,084 Palestinians killed and 58,926 injured in Gaza since October 7, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health. More than 5,300 women and 9,000 children are among the dead.
CNN cannot verify the numbers released by the two ministries on its own. According to a separate statistic from the international organization Save the Children, over 10 children on average have suffered the loss of one or both of their legs every day in Gaza since October.
A wounded teen carried into Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital following Israeli attacks on Deir al-Balah in Gaza on January 4, 2024.
Ali Jadallah/Anadolu/Getty Images
Israels military campaign has sparked an international outcry with a growing number of nations backing calls for a ceasefire.
The United States has been urging Israeli officials to take stronger measures to safeguard civilians and carry out more targeted airstrikes. However, it has not yet agreed to a ceasefire despite mounting pressure. With the death toll rising, the conflict in Gaza has led to a new generation of orphans, as stated by King Abdullah II of Jordan in a speech on Monday.
Abdullah stated in a speech broadcasted on state media that more children have died in Gaza in the past year than in any other conflict worldwide. He also noted that many of the surviving children have been left orphaned, creating an entire generation of orphans. Abdullah made these comments during a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda's capital, as reported by Jordan's Petra news agency.
Abdullah questioned the effectiveness of indiscriminate aggression and shelling in bringing about peace and guaranteeing security, stating that they only build on hatred. He warned that without a just peace based on the two-state solution, the world will continue to suffer the consequences of unresolved conflict, and true peace and stability in the Middle East will remain elusive.
After meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Amman, Abdullah of Jordan delivered a speech in Rwanda. According to US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, they agreed to maintain close coordination for ongoing humanitarian assistance in Gaza. Additionally, a palace statement released after their meeting indicated that Abdullah also cautioned Blinken about the potential catastrophic consequences of the ongoing war in Gaza.
CNNs Ivana Kottasová, Kareem Khadder and Richard Allen Greene contributed reporting.
