Dozens of wounded lying on the ground in pools of blood; bodies, either lifeless or convulsing; caregivers struggling to move through the chaos. Such footage has arrived almost daily from inside Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. For several weeks, food distributions run by the American private organization Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have become a deadly trap for civilians, leading to a constant flow of wounded to the largest medical center still operating in the south, where the majority of Gaza's population is now concentrated, forcibly displaced by the Israeli military.

At 8 pm on Monday, June 30, Dr. Mohammed Sakr, head of nursing at the historic medical complex founded in 1960, had not left his post for more than 18 hours. "I practically live here now," he said, speaking to Le Monde by phone, his voice bitter but determined. Israeli authorities have barred the international press from entering the enclave since the war began, following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Leading a team of 800 medical staff, he coordinates operations in a war that has already lasted 21 months. "When there's a mass influx of wounded, like now, if I'm not here, we lose control. I miss my family, but I have to sacrifice myself for my fellow citizens." The father of five said he had already been displaced three times after his successive homes were bombed.

You have 82.62% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.