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After a six-week humanitarian mission in the Gaza Strip, Dr. Ahmed Zeroual has returned to Morocco. As a member of the Moroccan Coordination of Doctors for Palestine, Dr. Zeroual joined a volunteer initiative that allowed him to reach the region at the start of the truce, with help from the World Health Organization (WHO). «I have been back from Gaza for almost a week. I provided medical services by working jointly with my Palestinian colleagues to handle various cases, both those directly related to the war and those who had been unable to access medical care since the war began», he told Yabiladi.
Speaking to Yabiladi on Wednesday, Dr. Ahmed Zeroual, who works at the Hassan II Regional Hospital Center in Agadir, detailed the various cases that required immediate care in Gaza: war-related injuries (fractures and facial injuries), complications from these injuries, aggravated cancers due to lack of access to care since October 7, 2023, cosmetic surgeries for congenital malformations (including cleft lip and palate), as well as osteosyntheses and treatment of infections from the placement of fixation implants during the war.
In the northern part of Gaza, the doctor describes «vital needs». Like the rest of the Gaza Strip, medical resources—both human and material—are scarce after nearly two years of occupation and war led by Israel, during which the health system was crippled. Since October 7, 2023, at least 48,515 people have been killed and over 111,900 injured, according to updated figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Hospitals and medical personnel have been among the first targets.
Dr. Ahmed Zeroual’s figures state that «more than 1,000 health professionals have been killed, including many doctors, since the war began; between 400 and 600 have been detained». «Some have been released, and I met a few during my humanitarian mission», he says. However, hospital directors «remain incarcerated, some since the start of the war».
«We remain hopeful that the hospital directors will be released. Their presence among their population is vital, and they are on the front line. We reiterate our calls to the occupying forces to release them. Everyone testifies that they were arrested unarmed, without engaging in armed resistance. As practitioners, we have a mission and an oath to honor, which includes the responsibility to remain with our dying patients when ordered by an occupier to leave a hospital facility».
In the northern region, the Moroccan doctor and one of his Palestinian colleagues were the only two maxillofacial surgery specialists serving a population of 700,000 people. «Throughout the strip, one surgeon of my specialty is now the only one operating in the northern area, and another in the southern area», he emphasizes.
«Complete Destruction in the Gaza Strip»
On the ground, Dr. Zeroual worked with Palestinian teams from the Baptist Hospital Al-Maamadani and Shifa Hospital in Gaza. «I was mainly mobilized at the former and operated once a week at the latter, alternating or working in tandem with my on-site surgeon colleague and the Palestinian medical teams», he recalls, describing a situation far worse than the images that reach us through television or social media. «It’s general destruction across the entire strip, with entire neighborhoods razed», he says.
«The Shifa hospital complex, which until now was the largest in all of Palestine, a landmark in medicine, is so badly damaged that engineers recommend razing what remains of it», laments Dr. Zeroual.
He points out that before this destruction, the facility served as a large university hospital center, with 25 surgery rooms. «Part of it remains for consultations and minor surgeries, but all the specialty blocks have been leveled and are impossible to repair, further complicating patient care», he confides.
For now, the Al-Ahli Arabi Hospital (Al-Maamadani) remains «a backbone for the health system in the northern region, despite its small size», says the doctor, mentioning four operating rooms and one for urgent cases and infections. Six medical specialties alternate in this space, which is extremely limited in medical equipment and supplies.
«In this case, we’ve reached the limits of handling complex cases in the Gaza Strip. Interventions requiring special technical platforms, for surgeries lasting 10 to 12 hours, must be carried out in university hospitals and external structures. We’ve issued referral letters so patients can receive care outside the strip».
Effects of the War After the Truce
Dr. Zeroual also recalls the painful sight of cemeteries at hospitals. «It was only after the ceasefire that several families were able to go to the outskirts of hospitals to bury the bodies of their relatives killed in the war and hold dignified funerals», he tells us.
Despite the withdrawal of the Israeli army from inside the strip, soldiers remain stationed 700 meters away, on the outskirts. «Since the official announcement of the ceasefire, more than 120 people have been killed, and we’ve handled cases of the injured», Dr. Zeroual adds, still haunted by «extracting bullets from children».
«Handling cancers that require surgery remains a great challenge. We operated successfully on patients, especially young ones, but these treatments require chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which are currently unavailable in the Gaza Strip. It pained us to see these constraints cause relapses. We were particularly struck by the case of a 35-year-old patient».
From Gaza, the doctor particularly remembers «the dignity of the Palestinian population despite their suffering and being left to their own devices». «I saw people living through a horrific war, having lost their possessions, their children, their loved ones, or their parents, yet they continue to love life, maintaining great clarity», says Dr. Zeroual.
«Every house has at least one martyr, but all families cling to life and maintain an astonishing sense of organization and daily discipline. This should make us question our individual priorities and how we approach the challenges we face», he reflects.
Necessary Medical Support from States on the Ground
Everything in the region still needs to be rebuilt. «Organizations and individuals can take initiatives and act in solidarity with the Palestinian population, but the situation in Gaza and the extent of the destruction caused by the war require solidarity between states and support from countries, through initiatives that could allow residents to regain a stable life», stresses Dr. Zeroual.
He recalls that, «In light of the destruction of the health system, setting up field hospitals in Gaza is essential, and it is the states that can do this». To this end, Dr. Zeroual notes that the Coordination of Doctors for Palestine sent a letter to the Moroccan Ministry of Health and Social Protection, which remains unanswered.
«We then made three official reminders of our correspondence to the ministry, particularly urging Morocco to initiate the installation of a field hospital. Medical missions could then be sent to address the lack of human resources on the ground and support the few doctors who have worked tirelessly since the start of the war. This would also allow access to medical supplies and equipment in greater quantities», the Moroccan doctor added.
«We always support the Palestinian cause, and Morocco is known for its history of humanitarian interventions in conflict zones. Our wish is for this tradition to continue and for us to also put it at the service of the Palestinian population», Dr. Zeroual concluded.
