Gaza | “On the ground these words seem empty, they seem so far away.”

• Palestine

The morning of 19 May, an Israeli military operation struck Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. The same governorate where our clinic is located.

Our Medical Coordinator Giorgio Monti sent an update:

“When there is talk of the end of the war, when there is talk of accords… well, on the ground these words seem empty, they seem so far away.

I am in the clinic and this morning, being in the clinic is news. An attack at dawn this morning in Khan Younis has created many problems. Nasser Hospital, the biggest hospital in the area, is closed because it was hit. Many centres remained closed for security reasons. A couple of our nurses called and said they could not leave their homes, they were in danger and therefore could not reach the hospital.

We decided to open anyway.

We found a small crowd of patients waiting for us: children, mothers, people with chronic diseases and acute illnesses. So, today is a special day. It’s a bit more difficult than usual. A few more worries. In the meantime, we keep going and keep working every day, trying to wait for the day when there will be no more need for these worries.”

CEASEFIRE NOW.