A British paramedic has told of the "heartbreaking" moment he put two dead children in body bags shortly after arriving in Gaza. Sam Sears, 44, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, said his three weeks with frontline charity UK-Med was a "conveyor belt of carnage".
The East Midlands Ambulance Service paramedic treated a "steady stream" of patients with blast, shrapnel and gunshot wounds. On arrival, Sears was thrown straight into a mass casualty incident where two children, aged nine and 11, died from blast injuries.
Children moved to make space
"I was tasked with moving the two deceased children out the way to make space for other casualties coming in. I put the children in body bags and zipped them up," Sears said. He explained that in the UK, dealing with deceased children follows a much calmer process that allows parents time to grieve.
"So it was particularly heartbreaking putting a child in a body bag, seeing their face for the last time, then moving them out the way so we could treat more people," he added. Sears said he felt guilty about the lack of dignity but had no alternative given the high volume of casualties requiring immediate attention.
Gaza worse than other conflicts
The paramedic, who has carried out humanitarian work in other countries, said Gaza is like the Ukraine conflict or the earthquake in Turkey "times one thousand". He described seeing a boy aged about eight who was "lifeless behind the eyes - just numb" after losing his whole family in an explosion.
Sears also told of a 16-year-old boy left paralysed and needing amputation after suffering blast and shrapnel wounds. The teenager's 18-year-old brother wept when told he would now have to care for him alone.
Malnutrition among mothers and babies
The paramedic witnessed more pregnant women and newborn babies suffering severe malnutrition because mothers lacked the nutrients to breastfeed. Despite the harrowing conditions, Sears said he is keen to return to Gaza because he is "really making a difference and saving lives".
He recalled treating a child with shrapnel embedded in their stomach who was bleeding internally. "I was personally convinced they would die, but we got him to surgery within 20 minutes," Sears said.
UK funding supports field hospitals
The next day, the child was recovering well with a good prognosis. Some £19 million of funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has enabled UK-Med to treat more than 500,000 patients at two UK Government emergency field hospitals in Gaza.
The conflict began when Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, which does not distinguish between militants and civilians.
Government pledges Palestinian recognition
Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) has pledged to recognise a Palestinian state by September 2025 unless Israel meets a series of conditions towards ending the conflict in Gaza. The Prime Minister also urged Hamas to disarm, release its remaining Israeli hostages and accept it will have no part in the future governance of Gaza.
On Saturday, the UK announced another £8.5 million for UN aid to Gaza. The money, to be delivered through the UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, is part of a £101 million UK commitment to the Occupied Palestinian Territories this year.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
