Cliff Notes – British surgeon working in Gaza says it is now ‘a slaughterhouse’ amid Israeli bombardment
- Dr Tom Potokar, a British surgeon in Gaza, describes the region as a “slaughterhouse” due to the ongoing Israeli bombardment, referencing the high casualty rates reported by Palestinian health officials.
- The Israel Defence Forces have initiated extensive ground operations in both northern and southern Gaza, striking over 670 Hamas targets in a week.
- Ceasefire discussions are underway in Qatar, with scant progress reported, and Hamas has proposed a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages.
British surgeon working in Gaza says it is now ‘a slaughterhouse’ amid Israeli bombardment
A British surgeon working in southern Gaza has compared the region to a “slaughterhouse” because of the daily bombardment from Israeli forces.
Dr Tom Potokar offered his assessment of the military offensive after Palestinian health officials reported at least 130 people were killed overnight into Sunday.
Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed troops had begun “extensive ground operations throughout the northern and southern Gaza Strip”.
In a video, Dr Potokar said it was “another day of devastation here in Gaza”, adding: “The stories coming from the north… absolutely horrific… particularly around the Indonesian Hospital.
“I mean, it’s difficult to describe in words what’s happening here… [with the] constant sound of bombardment jets overhead.
“If Cambodia was the killing fields, then Gaza now is the slaughterhouse.”
His reference to Cambodia’s killing fields refers to when more than a million people were murdered in mass executions and buried by the extreme communist guerrilla group, the Khmer Rouge, under Pol Pot, between 1975 and 1979.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said 464 people had died in Israeli military strikes in the week to Sunday.
In a statement on Sunday, IDF said its air force struck “over 670 Hamas terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip to disrupt enemy preparations and support ground operations” over the past week.
Dr Potokar described the impact on those on the ground, saying: “We’ve been operating all morning so far and [treating] awful explosive injuries… [including] one young woman with leg fracture and shoulder fracture and a large wound on her buttock, who came in yesterday and is not yet aware that everyone in our family was killed in the onslaught.”
Israel has launched an escalation to increase pressure on Hamas, seize territory, displace Palestinians to the south and take greater control over the distribution of aid.
Sources
Amid Cease-Fire Talks, Israel Says It Has Expanded Ground Operations in Gaza – The New York Times
Gazans report 17 killed across Strip in last hours – The Times of Israel
Israel holds ceasefire talks with Hamas, as new ground operation in Gaza begins – NPR
Israeli ground operations underway in Gaza, some food to be allowed in – The Washington Post