As dawn broke on Thursday, Haitham Abu Ammar found himself in the midst of a nightmare. The school that had become a shelter for him and thousands of other displaced Gazans had been reduced to rubble by Israeli airstrikes. In the aftermath, he spent hours helping people piece together the limbs of their loved ones, a task he never imagined he would have to do.
“The most painful thing I have ever experienced was picking up those pieces of flesh with my hands,” said Mr. Abu Ammar, a 27-year-old construction worker. “I never thought I would have to do such a thing.”
The Israeli military claimed that the airstrikes had targeted militants hiding in the school complex, killing at least nine of them. However, as the day progressed, it became evident that civilians had also perished in the attack. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that among the roughly 40 people killed, 14 were children and nine were women.
The Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, the last major medical facility still operating in central Gaza, became a scene of chaos and despair. Crowds gathered outside the morgue to mourn the dead, while inside, the corridors were filled with people pleading for help and comfort. The hospital staff, already overwhelmed by the influx of casualties, struggled to provide care with dwindling medical supplies.
Karin Huster, a nurse with Doctors Without Borders working as a medical coordinator at the hospital, described the situation as “complete chaos.” The majority of the patients she had seen in the past few days were women and children, further highlighting the devastating impact of the conflict on innocent civilians.
The strike on the school complex came as part of a new Israeli military operation against Hamas militants in central Gaza, displacing even more Gazans who had fled from previous offensives. The cycle of violence and displacement has left many residents with nowhere to seek refuge that is truly safe.
As Mr. Abu Ammar buried a friend he had pulled from the rubble, he found himself back at the hospital, this time accompanying the friend’s injured brother. The scenes of suffering and desperation were overwhelming, with wounded people lying on the floor and others calling out for help. The morgue, too, was a harrowing sight, with bodies strewn about as grieving relatives mourned their loved ones.
“When is it too much?” asked Ms. Huster. “I don’t know anymore how I can phrase this so that it shocks people. Where has humanity gone wrong?”
The aftermath of the airstrike at the school complex serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. As the death toll rises and the suffering deepens, the need for a lasting and peaceful resolution becomes more urgent than ever.