A nurse from Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza has recounted harrowing details of the humiliation, violence, and terror inflicted during an Israeli military raid on 27 December. Patients and medical staff were forced to strip in the freezing cold, enduring unimaginable degradation as the hospital was set ablaze.

The nurse described the trauma: “Every corner of the hospital bore witness to our suffering, but that one moment – standing helpless, stripped of dignity under the threat of a weapon – will haunt me forever. I felt reduced to nothing, dehumanised and powerless.”

She detailed how the siege escalated into a humanitarian catastrophe. “We were under constant bombardment, with water and electricity cut off, and supplies running out. Critically injured patients arrived, only to be targeted by Israeli forces before they could even reach the hospital for treatment.”

The occupation forces used psychological warfare to instill further fear. “At one point, we were warned about a bomb at the hospital gate. We were paralysed by anxiety, unable to find peace. It turned out to be a mere cardboard box, a cruel tactic to break our spirits,” she recalled.

Food and water became luxuries. Sporadic aid from the World Health Organisation consisted of basic rations, which had to be shared across the hospital. Yet, the determination of the staff to continue saving lives remains unshaken, even in the face of relentless destruction.

The nurse described the Israeli forces’ targeting of the hospital’s infrastructure, including the bulldozing of its grounds, where martyrs were buried under rubble. The hospital’s director, Dr Hussam Abu Safia, was arrested amidst the chaos, leaving staff and patients without leadership in an already dire situation.

Amidst the devastation, there were rare moments of resilience. She recalled how the medical team revived a doctor who had been critically injured while treating others. “It was a small triumph in a sea of darkness, a reminder of the strength of our people,” she said.

Reflecting on her ordeal, the nurse appealed for urgent international intervention. “Our suffering cannot be ignored. Gaza’s medical sector has been crippled, and those responsible for these atrocities must be held accountable. We need the world to act, to ensure this never happens again.”