Six volunteer doctors, who have worked at Gaza's European and al-Aqsa hospitals over the past three months, emphasized that a significant portion of their surgeries involved children struck by small shards of shrapnel. These fragments, while leaving nearly imperceptible entry wounds, inflict extensive internal damage.
Speaking to The Guardian on Thursday, the surgeons underscored that Israeli fragmentation bombs, designed with shrapnel, exacerbate the humanitarian crisis among Gaza's youth.
Feroze Sidhwa, a trauma surgeon from California who served at the European hospital in April, described treating "splinter injuries." "About half of the cases I handled were young children. We dealt with so-called splinter injuries that were minuscule to the point of being easily overlooked during examinations. Despite their size, they caused profound internal harm," Sidhwa explained.
He added, "Children are especially vulnerable to penetrating injuries due to their smaller size. Their vital organs are more delicate and prone to disruption... For instance, in a young child, the femoral artery, crucial for leg circulation, is as thin as a noodle. Repairing such injuries and preserving the child's limb pose significant challenges."
Juliette Touma of UNRWA further highlighted the broader impact of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza's children, stating that at least 600,000 children have been deprived of education since the war began in October. "This crisis jeopardizes an entire generation," Touma emphasized.
At least 38,345 people have been killed and 88,295 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7.