Foreign Doctors Uncover Disturbing Pattern of Israeli Forces Targeting Children in Gaza

Foreign doctors working in Gaza report a chilling pattern: children with single gunshot wounds to the head or chest, a sign they were deliberately targeted. This emerges from an investigation by de Volkskrant, which spoke to 15 doctors who are among the last international eyewitnesses in the region.

Fifteen doctors told the newspaper they treated 114 children aged 15 and under with such wounds. Most did not survive. Eyewitnesses said the bullets came from Israeli snipers or drones. Former Dutch army commander Mart de Kruif said accidental hits are nearly impossible, given the consistency and scale of the injuries.

American trauma surgeon Feroze Sidhwa arrived at the European Hospital in Gaza in March 2024. He remembers seeing four boys with head wounds admitted within 48 hours. “I thought: what the hell? How is it possible?” he said. Over the following two weeks, he treated nine more children with similar injuries.

Doctors describe working in sweltering heat, with hospitals smelling of sewage, explosives, and decay. Ventilators and medical equipment are scarce or damaged. Emergency surgeon Mimi Syed intubated a four-year-old girl shot in a humanitarian zone, using a laryngoscope she smuggled in herself. She kept the child alive, later documenting the bullet lodged in her head.

Doctors report seeing wounds likely caused by fragmentation weapons. Small, cube-shaped fragments pierce organs and vessels, causing fatal internal bleeding or major amputations. Nine doctors confirmed encountering these injuries. Weapons experts say the injuries match Israeli-made tungsten fragments. The Israeli military denies using such weapons.

Mass casualty events occur daily. Children make up over 40% of Gaza’s population, and many arrive with severe injuries. Doctors describe children with shrapnel in the brain, bullets in the chest, and limbs torn by blasts. Some are classified as WCNSF (Wounded Child, No Surviving Family.)

British surgeon Goher Rahbour noticed another disturbing pattern: the targeted body part changed each day. One day, it was the head and chest. Another day, limbs or abdomen. Doctors suggest a coordinated and deliberate approach.

Doctors speak out despite risks. Israel often blocks reentry for those who testify. “Being silent is not an option,” said Sidhwa. Doctors from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands say their mission is to save lives and bear witness. Their testimony paints a grim picture of deliberate targeting of children, destruction of hospitals, and the human cost of the ongoing genocide.