274 Palestinians killed in Nusseirat camp during the release of 4 hostages

3 mins

With our correspondent in Jerusalem, Sami Boukhekifa

On Saturday afternoon, dozens of dead and wounded arrived at Al Aqsa hospital, one of the few still in operation in the Gaza Strip. In the compound, Salma, a young Gazan, films the ambulances, blood on the ground, everywhere.

“ The wounded and martyrs arrive from the Nusseirat district “, she says. “ The Israeli army committed carnage there. So far, there have been 230 deaths. Look at this blood. It is the blood of martyrs “, she continues.

Before Salma’s eyes, dramas. Lives taken away. A man reveals the face of his deceased. He caresses her cheek. He cries silently. Further on, the prayer of the dead ends. The body is taken for burial. Loved ones collapse.

At the same time, inside the hospital, Mahmoud, a caregiver, sees the injured parade by. Contacted by telephone 24 hours later, he testified:

“ More than 150 people injured during this Israeli operation had to be amputated “, he says. The Israelis committed a terrible massacre. Everything was calm, and in a split second there was bombing, and then their special forces arrived. They executed people. In the street, they shot on sight. As soon as they saw someone, they would shoot them. Their tanks were firing non-stop “.

For Israel, the operation is a success. Four hostages find freedom after eight months of ordeal. For Palestinians, at least 274 people were killed during this offensive, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Only one culprit: Hamas which held hostages in a residential area », justifies the Israeli army.

For MSF, the very high number of victims is explained by the intensity of the strikes and the overpopulation of the refugee camp

“ The number of victims and the extremely heavy toll can be explained quite easily because in fact, it is a densely populated area and in particular following the evacuation orders from Rafah, a million people had to spread out on the rest of the Gaza Strip, that is to say essentially the center and in particular the Nusseirat camp. Many people had to relocate there », Explains Guillemette Thomas, medical coordinator of MSF France, joined in Jerusalem by Jelena Tomic.

“ We received between 60 and 75 patients who were all referred to our hospital because they presented the most complex and serious injuries. Many were operated on during the night, some in particular who were received in our department will be operated on today for their injuries and are essentially injuries which are serious, which are complex: fractures of the legs, arms, extensive burns, vascular complications and which for some will lead to traumatic amputations, eviscerations, that is to say extremely serious abdominal injuries “.