British doctor alleges patterns of gunshot wounds among Gaza’s youth suggest systematic brutality, as child malnutrition soars and aid sites become death traps under Israel’s siege.
Gaza – Monitoring Desk: A leading British surgeon working in Gaza has accused Israeli forces of systematically and deliberately targeting Palestinian children, likening their actions to a “game” in which different body parts are shot on different days of the week.
Professor Nick Maynard, a gastrointestinal surgeon at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, told BBC Radio 4 that doctors are witnessing disturbing patterns in the gunshot injuries of children, particularly boys, who arrive at hospitals after being shot near aid distribution sites.
“On one day, they’ll all be abdominal gunshot wounds. On another, they’ll all be head or neck wounds. And then it will be limbs the next day,” Maynard said. “It’s almost as if a game is being played – shoot the head today, the testicles tomorrow.”
The Israeli military has categorically denied the claims in a statement issued to the BBC.
‘Death Traps’ Disguised as Aid Points
Maynard said the majority of the wounded are adolescent boys seeking food at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid centers, which he described as “militarised zones” and “death traps.”
“These are places where starving civilians come to receive aid, only to be shot by Israeli forces or targeted by quadcopter drones,” he said. “It’s a deliberate effort to spread fear and chaos.”
He recounted the death of a 12-year-old boy who died on the operating table from a bullet wound to his chest – one of many children he and his colleagues have tried, and failed, to save under appalling conditions.
According to the United Nations, hundreds of Palestinians have been shot dead at or near aid centers since May, many of them women and children. GHF centers, reportedly operated by private contractors and under Israeli military coordination, have become focal points of Israeli operations, raising questions about their safety and neutrality.
Starving, Wounded, and Forgotten
As the Israeli siege continues, Gaza’s hospitals are overwhelmed and severely undersupplied. Malnutrition among children is rising sharply, and medical staff are watching helplessly as treatable injuries turn fatal due to a lack of proper food and medicine.
“We are seeing children die not because their wounds are untreatable,” said Maynard, “but because their bodies are too weak to heal. I have never seen this level of preventable death due to starvation.”
Other medical professionals working in central and southern Gaza have corroborated the patterns of targeted gunfire, according to the BBC. Several confirmed that injuries were concentrated in specific body regions depending on the day.
Children Under Fire in a War on Civilians
Since the start of Israel’s military campaign following the Hamas-led attack on October 7, over 59,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health. More than 70% of the casualties are women and children, with children alone making up at least 15,000 of the dead.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that Israel’s campaign amounts to collective punishment, with deliberate attacks on civilians, including medics, aid workers, and journalists. International outrage continues to grow, but Gaza remains under siege. With hospitals crumbling, aid restricted, and children dying by the hundreds, Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe is deepening by the hour. ST
