«It's not a war, it's a genocide» : Moroccan doctor returns from Gaza with harrowing testimony

Ya Biladi

18-06-2025

Dr. Abdelkbir Hassini, an anesthesiologist and resuscitation specialist at Hassan II Provincial Hospital in Khouribga (from 1990 to 2016), has devoted nearly thirty-five years to cases requiring his expertise. True to the spirit of the Hippocratic Oath, he took part in an international humanitarian mission in the Gaza Strip from May 29 to June 12, 2025, supporting Palestinian medical staff on the ground. Through the Beverly Hills–based Rahma NGO, and as a member of the Moroccan coordination of Doctors for Palestine, Dr. Hassini spent fifteen days in Khan Younis alongside specialists from Australia, Germany, the UK, and the United States.
«With the World Health Organization (WHO), this organization is one of the few currently capable of organizing international humanitarian missions in the Gaza Strip. Despite restrictions on supplies, we were able to bring some medical provisions, equipment, and vital components for our operations. Quantities had to be limited to avoid potential seizures, but we managed to bring in a few batches», Dr. Hassini explains.
Having just returned to Morocco, Dr. Hassini, currently working in the private sector, has already resumed his duties, carrying the heavy weight of an intense mission amid the total siege of Gaza. Between anesthesia and resuscitation interventions, he shared with Yabiladi the devastating effects of nearly three years of Israeli military offensives in the region, where «the medical infrastructure is practically out of service».
«My assignment reflects a situation words cannot fully capture. Initially, I was supposed to join Nasser Hospital, Gaza's largest remaining referral hospital. But due to the lack of resources on site to carry out medical procedures in our specialties, we were reassigned to Al Amal Hospital. The entire hospital infrastructure in northern Gaza is now unable to accommodate and care for the wounded needing resuscitation, including the European Hospital in Khan Younis», he says.
An «exemplary» organization amid a «catastrophic situation»
On the ground, «the situation is catastrophic», and even Al Amal Hospital is at risk of being shut down, especially as the ceasefire no longer holds despite numerous UN warnings to Israel. During Dr. Hassini's mission, the WHO also warned that Gaza's health system was collapsing. «There are no longer any operational hospitals in northern Gaza. Nasser and Al Amal are the last two functioning public hospitals in Khan Younis, where most of the population now lives. Without these facilities, essential health services can no longer be provided», the organization cautioned.
Speaking to Yabiladi, Dr. Hassini recounted his experience in real time: «Nearly three days into our mission, the director of Al Amal Hospital informed us that the facility was in what the occupation calls an 'evacuation zone,' putting patients and staff at risk. After some hesitation, our NGO reassured us, and we continued operating on site».
The permanent medical team and volunteer humanitarians were vital, as the hospital handles all severe injuries that cannot be treated elsewhere. «Severe injuries number in the dozens daily, all received by a single facility with fully mobilized healthcare staff and resuscitation beds at capacity», says Dr. Hassini.
«We were able to provide necessary care to patients, especially thanks to the complementary expertise among specialists on site and the diverse mission team I was part of emergency doctors, anesthesiologists, trauma surgeons, and ophthalmologists. We organized a care circuit covering first aid, intensive care, and complex surgeries requiring large quantities of blood. In this regard, I must commend the high skill level of the Palestinian medical staff, who work under these conditions every day in an exemplary way».
Describing the conditions, the doctor paints a picture of «inhumane and unimaginable situations, daily killings, and extreme cruelty that even the images from Gaza don't fully show». Among the cases that stayed with him, he recounts one that «illustrates the complex and multifaceted suffering of a single individual and family among the civilian population».
«It was a young man who came to Al Amal Hospital carrying his severely injured daughter. The child needed immediate anesthesia and surgery. The father told us that his wife had been maimed in the same attack, and their son had been hit in the face. This reveals that beyond the many patients we see, there's an invisible face of cruelty, transfers impossible outside Gaza, uncounted dead, dismembered bodies, and injured people that families tally every day», he laments.
Unjustifiable silence
Amid this emergency response, Dr. Hassini praises «the organizational capacity of Palestinian colleagues, who manage to sustain stocks of supplies and medical equipment despite the health system being targeted by the occupation. This allowed us to provide the injured and patients with the necessary blood, pharmaceuticals, and pre-operative care».
«When faced with such situations, it is our faith in life that prevails and motivates us as medical professionals. We have no choice but to treat all patients. The Palestinian population's attachment to life constantly reminded us of this, it is one of the greatest lessons from these missions. The citizens of Gaza count their dead and injured every day, yet their hope for a better tomorrow after all this genocide remains intact, and their morale grows stronger».
In this context, Dr. Hassini insists, «It must be said: this is no longer a war, it is genocide». «I share the dismay and astonishment of my fellow humanitarian mission members», he adds. He also expresses his «total incomprehension at the unjustifiable silence of the international community, witnessing so much terror and unable to stop the massacre».
Under such circumstances, the doctor reflects, «One returns deeply marked by what is happening on the ground, but also strengthened by the mental fortitude that is a tool of resistance for the Palestinian people, a force that makes us question our own everyday challenges and concerns».