Anchor A (Good Morning Britain): Last week, Israeli forces struck Nasser hospital in Gaza. You may well have heard about it, killing at least 20 people, including five journalists, on what people are calling a double tap incident. British physiotherapist Rachel Moses was inside the building when the blast happened, landing just meters from where she was working. And Rachel joins us now.
ָAnchor B: Rachel, um, by strange coincidence, we’ve met before, haven’t we? because you were extraordinarily one of our health stars rewarding those working in the NHS and the health services for your great work. And then very soon after that you went and changed your life and found yourself in parts of the world including most recently Gaza where you’ve seen a very different form of challenge.
Rachel: Yes. So thanks Kate, and thanks for having me on today. Um, yes. So, I’ve always done humanitarian work alongside my NHS work and in 2017 I was approached by an organization called Medical Aid for Palestinians to help develop a rehab program in Gaza. And you know that was almost eight years ago and I’ve had the fortune to visit Gaza since then.
Anchor B: Now, most recently, you’ve definitely seen that – obviously from the horrific pictures we’ve seen from our position in the world – things have changed dramatically. What are you seeing and experiencing in terms of injuries and the plight of those there?
Rachel: Oh, I mean, it’s sometimes I’m left speechless because the words we could use to describe what is happening to the people of Gaza and the people of Palestine are indescribable. 22 months of brutality. I’ve seen things that I’ve never seen in my entire 25-year career while dealing with people in Gaza, children, newborn babies, bullets to the brain, um the most horrific traumatic brain injuries, huge levels of disability, and you know, on top of the inhumane living conditions.
Anchor A: Yeah, we had Professor Nick Maynard on the show a while ago. You know him quite well. And he talked about some of these injuries, and he saw a pattern – although on some days there would be bullet holes in the head, other days he mentioned boys coming in with bullets to their testicles, and he suggested it was some sort of game that the IDF soldiers were playing. They’d obviously deny that, but you’ve seen similar patterns, haven’t you?
Rachel: Yeah, I mean I hadn’t seen Nick’s interview. I was inside Gaza at the time. Obviously, we don’t have access to any communications. And when I was in the intensive care unit one day I asked exactly that question. You know we had four or five young adults, children, admitted on the same day with almost identical injuries. And when we look back on the admission dates of other children and young adults, they had almost identical injuries. So that could be gunshot wounds to the head, gunshot wounds to the spinal cord, gunshot wounds to the limbs.
Anchor B: Yeah. Now the Israelis have said that they do not do this. That’s not to override your experience or what you saw, but just to keep a balance in what information we’re giving. Tell us what you experienced directly when the hospital you’re working in was hit and where you were because you were very close, weren’t you?
Rachel: Yeah, we were in the room next door in the intensive care unit. So, the operating room was struck first. First of all, it’s not unusual to hear and feel explosions in any of the hospitals, including Nasser. I think it’s been hit three times since I’ve been working out there. Um, and this explosion felt close. You could feel it. It’s not unusual. We carried on as usual. We carried on working. Yes. It’s very usual to feel and hear explosions in a hospital. Um, that is the reality of my colleagues working out there every day. And it wasn’t until about 30 seconds later, people kind of came rushing in to get gloves. There are no gloves in the hospital, but intensive care has a supply. And then we’ve seen the debris starting to come in.
Anchor A: And then you found out that your colleagues had been affected.
Anchor B: You saw that the thing about this particular attack is that the rescuers went in and the rescues themselves were killed, and you saw the rescuers go back in, didn’t you?
Rachel: Yeah. So when the intensive care doors open, you kind of have access to the stairwell.
Anchor B: So when you see that, do you fear for your own life? Are you
going to go back out there now when you are seeing how dangerous it is out there? Are you still committed to go and help those children?
Rachel: I mean, yes, I would go back tomorrow if I could, but obviously there are rules and regulations about who can enter. But absolutely, I think anyone that goes to Gaza or any country like Gaza, especially as a healthcare worker, you have a duty of care for the most vulnerable people in the world as a humanitarian, and that is what we’re driven by.
Anchor B: Now look, I know you don’t want to go into the politics of it, and I completely respect that, but what would you want to see happen now from what you have seen? You’re one of a few people around here who’s been there and seen it in your own eyes. What are you asking, what action to take place right now?
Rachel: I mean, the last 22 months of brutality on the people of Gaza should never have happened and should never happen again in our lifetimes. And nothing will stop
the killing, the death, destruction, disability. And it will take world leaders to come together. And if I had my prime minister here right now, I would say to him, what have you done in your leadership role to stop this genocide? Because history will look back
and it will judge people, and leaders around the world need to remember that.
Anchor A: Rachel, you put it so eloquently and you’re a hero. You really are. I know you don’t feel that. But honestly, on behalf of so many of us, and this is not about any side at this point. This is about simple humanity and what you are doing is absolutely fantastic and we really are very grateful.
Rachel: Thank you