Palestinian nurse Abdul Salam Barakat was inside an ambulance trying to transport patients with skull and chest fractures from northern Gaza when explosions occurred at different times. Barakat spoke about the horrific airstrikes carried out by Israel around him and near the Al-Shifa Medical Complex on Friday, saying, "Everything was shaking around us. The cases in the ambulance were suffering from complex fractures."
He mentioned that the first strike, which occurred at a square only a few minutes from the complex, hit a medic and a passenger in one of the ambulances. He added that the second strike, which took place near the complex gate while the convoy was on its way there after rerouting from attempting to head south, struck an ambulance in front of him, resulting in the death of a medic and others nearby.
As bodies lay in pools of blood on the ground, Barakat's ambulance fled the chaos and headed to the central ambulance station about 1.2 kilometers away, enduring more strikes along the way. The ambulance eventually returned the wounded to the Al-Shifa Medical Complex in worse condition, with no signs of evacuation soon.
"There is no safe place left," said hospital director Mohammed Abu Salmiya, stating that 15 people were killed and 60 injured in the attack on the hospital gate. The UN Secretary-General and humanitarian agencies operating in Gaza condemned the attack. Médecins Sans Frontières described the incident as "horrific... and a new low in an endless stream of senseless violence." Hamas called for an international investigation into accusations of Israeli forces using hospitals.
Barakat returned to work on Monday to treat severely injured patients without electricity and in light of shortages of other resources. After recently cleaning a large abdominal wound on one man using what resembled a small sterilized cloth, he said, "There is a significant shortage of medical supplies and electricity, and the humidity in the building is extremely high."
The Israeli military attack on Gaza was a response to Hamas's assault on southern Israel on October 7, which Israeli authorities say resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people. Health authorities in Gaza state that the bombardment has led to the deaths of over 10,000 people.
Hospital Inhabitants
Ashraf, a resident of Gaza City who has sought refuge in Al-Shifa Hospital for three weeks with his wife and four children, said he ran outside when the ambulance convoy was bombed. He added, "At the hospital gate... people were scattered... between the dead and the wounded. One of my relatives was among the dead too. He was very young." Ashraf did not wish to disclose his family name for safety reasons.
He further expressed, "There is no time for grief. I helped others transport the wounded to the hospital... after they bombed the ambulances, there is no safe place left anymore."
