Surgeon to tell Cork rally of Israel's 'deliberate targeting' of hospitals in Gaza

Professor Nick Maynard, who is due to return to the war-torn region later this month, wants to tell the public in Cork of the 'crimes being committed' by Israeli forces in Gaza

Professor Nick Maynard (right) during his recent trip to Al Aqsa Hospital in Gaza. Picture sent by Nick Bramhill

A surgeon recently returned from Gaza has said he is giving public addresses in Cork this week to make sure “everyone is aware of exactly what is going on and the atrocities that are panning out there”.

Professor Nick Maynard, who is due to return to the war-torn region later this month, told the Irish Examiner that he wants to tell the public in Cork of the “crimes being committed” by Israeli forces in Gaza.

“There is deliberate targeting of doctors, of nurses, and of hospitals,” he claimed. “These are not accidents. These are deliberate targeting, such as the humanitarian aid workers this week. 

"I’m not a politician. I’m a doctor. I can tell them what’s going on and stress the massive importance of a ceasefire and the stopping of the sale of arms, and the like.” 

Israel has denied claims attacks have been deliberate, describing as "nonsense" and "absurd" that the killing of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers in Gaza was done on purpose.

Prof. Maynard is a 61-year-old consultant gastrointestinal surgeon at Oxford University Hospital in England who has been visiting Gaza regularly since 2010. Working with Medical Aid for Palestinians, he went to Gaza twice last year, including over the Christmas and New Year period.

Professor Nick Maynard (left) with Gaza volunteer with nurse Shaimaa Arafa during his recent trip to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza. Picture sent by Nick Bramhill

Since the Hamas attack on October 7 which killed over 1,000 people in southern Israel, Israel’s retaliation has resulted in more than 33,000 people being killed, according to the latest figures released Thursday.

Prof. Maynard worked in the Al-Aqsa Hospital in January when he and the staff, along with 600 patients, were ordered to leave by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

An Israeli air strike in the courtyard of the hospital earlier this week resulted in several deaths. Al-Aqsa is currently the last functioning hospital in central Gaza and the surgeon described operating on multiple patients with bomb injuries to their abdomen and chest.

“It’s the things I saw in the emergency room,” he said. “There was one little girl of eight. Her burns were so bad, you could see the bones of her face. She wouldn’t have survived in any country in the world. But we could have tried to keep her comfortable and let her die peacefully.

“But we had no pain relief. She died in agony, lying on the floor of the emergency room. I saw lots of children with traumatic amputations. Really awful, awful stuff.” 

Professor Maynard also worked at Al-Shifa Hospital in the past, most of which has now been destroyed after a two-week assault by the IDF and it is claimed over 400 Palestinians died in the assault. He has said he never saw any evidence of Hamas using the hospital as a base and “unequivocally” refutes Israeli claims to the contrary.

Injured Palestinians receive treatment at the Shuhada Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah in Gaza on Wednesday. Photo: AFP via Getty Images

On Thursday, the international food charity World Central Kitchen called for an independent investigation into the Israeli strikes that killed seven of its aid workers in Gaza on Monday.

WCK asked Australia, Canada, Poland, the US and the UK, whose citizens were killed, to join them in demanding “an independent, third-party’’ inquiry into the strikes.

“This was a military attack that involved multiple strikes and targeted three WCK vehicles,” WCK said in a statement. “All three vehicles were carrying civilians; they were marked as WCK vehicles; and their movements were in full compliance with Israeli authorities, who were aware of their itinerary, route, and humanitarian mission.

“An independent investigation is the only way to determine the truth of what happened, ensure transparency and accountability for those responsible, and prevent future attacks on humanitarian aid workers.” 

The US president, Joe Biden, and Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, were expected to speak on Thursday in their first phone call since the strikes. 

Mr Biden has added to a chorus of international anger over the attack on the employees of the US-based WCK, who were distributing desperately needed food to a population on the verge of famine.

The Pentagon said the US secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, had urged Israel to take concrete steps to protect aid workers and Palestinian civilians in Gaza “after repeated co-ordination failures” when he spoke with Israeli minister of defence, Yoav Gallant, on Wednesday.

The US has provided crucial military aid and diplomatic support for Israel’s nearly six-month offensive, which was launched in response to Hamas’s October 7 attack. There is no indication that the US will withdraw aid over the WCK strike.

Professor Nick Maynard (left) with Dr Sara Al Saqqa, Consultant Surgeon and the first ever female to qualify as a surgeon in Gaza, during his recent trip to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza. Picture sent by Nick Bramhill

The IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi attributed the strike to “misidentification”, adding that it “was not carried out with the intention of harming WCK aid workers”, and was a mistake that should not have happened.

Prof. Maynard said “it’s good that everyone is suddenly paying attention” due to the killing of the aid workers, referring to western Governments such as the US and UK.

“I find it very depressing that it’s taken six months for everyone to catch on to this,” he said. “These kinds of things have been happening for six months.” 

He said he had detected “a very significant change” in the rhetoric coming from Britain and the US in recent weeks. He was in Washington DC a few weeks ago where he met members of Congress and senior officials in the Biden administration.

“At that level at least, there is a change of direction,” he said. “One could argue it’s too little too late. But it’s better than nothing. It’s taken six months so it’s long overdue.” 

(Left to right) Doctor Amber Alayyan, Professor Nick Maynard, Doctor Zaher Sahloul and Doctor Thaer Ahmad, a high-level delegation of four critical-care doctors who have worked on the frontlines of medical care in Gaza talk to the press at the United Nations in New York last month. Photo: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

With another trip to Gaza forthcoming, the surgeon said he was “absolutely worried” about his own safety when he travels over.

“I’m more worried than last time,” he said. “I think all of us going over think about the personal safety side of things continuously. Weighing up the risks and the benefits. I go out with Medical Aid for Palestinians, and I trust their judgement.” 

Prof. Maynard said that if it was a situation where the group advised against going, they wouldn’t go. “But there’s a huge need for us to go out there to help,” he said. “One has to balance that.” 

His family are also a huge factor in the decision to go. His wife Fionnuala is originally from Kinsale, with most of the family still living there.

Professor Nick Maynard is a 61-year-old consultant gastrointestinal surgeon at Oxford University Hospital in England who has been visiting Gaza regularly since 2010. Picture sent by Nick Bramhill

“Fionnuala is wonderfully supportive,” he said. “We’ve an adoptive daughter from Gaza, named Enas. She was a young doctor I taught in Gaza, who got a scholarship to come out.

“I get to see her family all the time when I’m over there. She hasn’t seen them in eight years. Fionnuala is like a mother to her, and I gave her away at her wedding in the UK.” 

His wife has an “enormous attachment to Gaza” as well, he added, but despite that they are nervous and apprehensive ahead of the trip.

On Thursday night, Professor Maynard was due to address a public meeting in the Trident Hotel in Kinsale and he will speak at the 26th weekly Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign march and rally in the city on Saturday.