Off the Egyptian coast, on board a French warship, wounded Palestinians find access to healthcare that has become scarce in the besieged Gaza Strip following months of conflict.
Abdulrahman Iyad, seated in a wheelchair, delicately rests his hands near pins protruding from his thighs. He scrolls through his phone, reflecting on images of his family, all lost in the explosion that mutilated his face.
Recalling the incident on the French helicopter carrier Dixmude, repurposed as a hospital for treating injured Palestinian civilians, Iyad recounts, “I was sent flying through the air and hit the wall of our neighbor’s house; my leg was trapped under the caved-in ceiling. When I woke up in the hospital, my uncles told me they had visited me, but I couldn’t remember a thing.”
Much of Iyad’s home, like numerous areas in the Palestinian territory, has been reduced to rubble amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants that commenced in early October.
The hostilities started on October 7 when Hamas initiated an unprecedented attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. The aftermath saw approximately 1,140 casualties, primarily civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. In response, Israel launched a military offensive, resulting in the death of at least 25,105 people in Gaza, predominantly women and children, as reported by the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
Search-and-rescue operations have become nearly impossible in the region, leaving thousands presumed dead and trapped under the debris, according to medics.
With the healthcare system on the brink of collapse, overwhelmed hospitals, and diminishing resources, the French warship stepped in to provide medical assistance in November off the coast of the port of El-Arish, situated 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the Egyptian border with Gaza.
Within the ship’s hull, a small group of patients and their families engage in a card game, offering a momentary respite amid the ongoing challenges they face. The French initiative plays a crucial role in addressing the dire medical needs of those affected by the conflict in Gaza.
