French doctor lived the horror and witnessed Israel's genocidal intent in Gaza

Dr Pascal Andre has spoken to Anadolu about his experience working in Gaza during Israel’s genocidal offensive. All health workers in the Strip, he said, witnessed Israel’s genocidal intent.

The difficulties, explained Andre, started before he and his colleague even reached the European Hospital in Khan Yunis in February. Humanitarian aid, including essential medical supplies, is stuck at the Rafah Border Crossing “for months” even though people in desperate need of treatment are only a few kilometres away.

“Between 4,000 and 5,000 people have taken refuge and live in the European Hospital, and 25,000 people live around it,” said the emergency room specialist. “Moreover, it is regretful that the Western media only mentions prisoners who hold Israeli or dual citizenship. We forget to mention the Palestinian civilian prisoners and doctors in Israeli prisons or captured by the Israeli army.”

The French doctor said that the people in Gaza are tired and terrified. “We experienced the terror of drones that are always flying over the Strip deliberately to prevent anyone from sleeping day and night. They leave a constant noise in your head. People live through this and under almost constant bombing.”

Nevertheless, the medical teams in Gaza work on despite their fears about what might happen to their families as a result of the Israeli bombing. “There are people there with incredible courage. And they are all civilians.” What’s more, he pointed out, he and his colleagues never witnessed hate speech from the residents of Gaza on the ground. “We heard citizens, mothers, fathers and children saying: ‘We are human beings and not animals as [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu said.’”

Two of Andre’s French colleagues who have worked as doctors in war zones told him that they had never seen injuries like those suffered by the people of Gaza. “And they have never seen a war zone where civilians are targeted so much, where there is no escape.”

The Palestinians in Gaza are exposed to bombing every time they go to areas that they believe to be safe, and they lose family members, homes and memories. The Israeli army targets mosques, universities, schools, healthcare personnel, holy and historical places. The idea of “total destruction” lies behind this, he said.

“We witnessed the genocidal intent as health professionals, and have evidence of this from Gaza. Who is talking about Israel’s failure to abide by international law? Today we must define terrorism as a terrorist act by a state, intimidating civilians, trapping them and leaving no means of escape, destroying all their roots and hopes. But who is talking about this?”

In closing, Dr Andre expressed his support for the release of all prisoners, stressing the need to release the residents of Gaza as well, because they have been “prisoners” in the enclave for more than 17 years.

READ: 19 more Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes across Gaza