By Esra Taskin
PARIS (AA) - A French anesthesia specialist who recently concluded a two-week assignment at the European Hospital in Gaza has brought to light the harrowing conditions faced by children in the region amid escalating violence.
At a gathering hosted by French opposition lawmakers who had visited Egypt and the Rafah border crossing from Feb. 3-6 to advocate for a cease-fire in Gaza, Chems-Eddine Bouchakour shared his firsthand experiences.
He painted a grim picture of the realities on the ground, particularly concerning the fate of children caught in the crossfire of Israel's attacks.
Describing the European Hospital as a microcosm of a city within a city, Bouchakour lamented the scenes of everyday life unfolding within its walls.
"We got the impression that there are streets where people live inside this hospital. There are people cooking inside the hospital, children playing games," he said.
Highlighting the sheer population density surrounding the hospital, he likened the area to a "village," estimating that between 25,000 to 30,000 people reside in its vicinity.
Amid the dire circumstances, however, Bouchakour expressed astonishment at the resilience and warmth exhibited by the Palestinians. Despite facing immense adversity, they welcomed the medical delegation with smiles and gratitude.
The most alarming revelation from Bouchakour came as he articulated the agonizing truth: "Children in Gaza don't have time to reach the operating room; they die before."
Bouchakour's testimony shed light on the appalling working conditions within the hospital, where medical professionals grapple with overwhelming challenges to save lives amid relentless violence.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has expressed concern about the situation at Nasir Hospital in Khan Younis, located in the southern Gaza Strip and under siege by the Israeli army.
It shared a post on X regarding the situation at the hospital.
"Today, Israeli forces ordered all displaced people sheltering inside Nasser Hospital, the largest in southern Gaza, to evacuate the facility. Medical staff and patients were told that they may remain in the hospital with a limit of one caretaker per patient," it said.
Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, killing at least 28,473 people and injuring 68,146 others, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.
The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered it to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.