Norwegian doctor in Gaza: – We’re wading in blood
January 4, 2009 § 23 Comments
Prof. Mads Gilbert in Gaza. Photo: NORWAC 2009.
They bombed the central vegetable market in Gaza City two hours ago. 80 injured, 20 killed. All was brought here to Shifa [Hospital]. Hades! We’re wading in death, blood and amputees. Many children. Pregnant woman. I’ve never experienced anything this horrible. We’re hearing tanks now. Tell it, pass it on, shout it. DO SOMETHING! DO MORE! We’re living in the history books now, all of us!
Mads Gilbert
3.1.09 13:50
Gaza, Palestine
This is a text message (my translation) sent from the Norwegian anesthesiologist and professor in emergency medicine Mads Gilbert to the Norwegian media. Gilbert and surgeon Erik Fosse are currently the only European health care workers on the Gaza Strip.
They managed to get in via Egypt last week, and are now working alongside their Palestinian colleagues in the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The two doctors, who have much experience with working in war zones, are in Gaza on behalf of the Norwegian Aid Commitee (NORWAC).
The latest news tell of 500 Palestinians killed and 2500 wounded. The UN believes a quarter of those killed are civilians and has warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis, according to BBC News. In contrast 9 Israelis have been killed by the primitive rockets of the Hamas.
We should heed the call of Prof. Gilbert and protest the aggressive operation of the Israeli forces, and demand an immediate ceasefire. This carnage has got to end!
The Sterile Eye 
[…] January 4, 2009 Tristan Tzara – «…quel vent souffle sur la solitude du monde…» – some links to photos – Gaza – des liens sur la guerre Posted by Loup Kibiloki under Flèches mentales filantes, Poèmes (tout genre) | Tags: Chemin des étoiles de mer, Gaza, guerre, poème, poésie, poetry, Tzara, War | Norwegian doctor in Gaza: We’re wading in blood. […]
It’s horrific. I just heard that the Israelis claim that Hamas is using hosiptals as a hiding place and are now talking of bombing hospitals. This just cannot be happening.
[…] norwegischen Anästhesisten an seinen Freund geschickt, der diese auf Englisch auf seinem Blog veröffentlichte. Aus guten Gründen verweigert das israelische Militär Berichterstatter den Zutritt nach […]
Thank God for Scandanavian courage and sense of Justice. I feel embarrassed personally and for the rest of us neutrals for doing so little.
I would like to express my sincere thanks from my heart to the doctors from Norway: I am proud of such people and ashamed of barberians of our days!
I am sickened that gilbert would allow his hospital to be used for ammunition storage. The good people of gaza have a right to hospitals that do not double as military bases.
Frank:
I certainly agree with you that hospitals should not double as military bases.
That the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza is being used as a weapons storage is however, as far as I’ve been able to establish, an undocumented allegation made by the IDF.
Mads Gilbert approves of terrorism,and condones what happened on 9/11.
Why should I believe anything this man says?
Courage and sense of justice indeed!
Leslie:
This is what Dr. Gilbert said about the 9/11 attacks, to Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet in 2001 (wikipedia):
You should of course not believe anyone blindly, but Gilbert and Fosse’s reports from the Al Shifa Hospital has been confirmed by several other sources.
http://no2wars.wordpress.com/2009/01/09/norway-political-train-strike-for-gaza-today/
Political train strike in Norway. Please spread this. Perhaps it will encourage other countries to do the same.
Oystein
Didn’t U.S. invade Iraq after 9/11?
CNN is biased towards Palestinians,and not a reliable source.
Didn’t Israel pull out of Gaza some time ago?
This will all go around in a circle,because some people choose to side with terrorists.
God help us all.
Leslie,
Dr. Gilbert is of course referring to the first Gulf War.
Could you please point me to an unbiased, reliable source to support the view that Gilbert & Fosse’s reports of civilian casualties in Gaza are false?
Just in from the UN Human Rights Council:
Oystein
Please view this Youtube video,which was shown on CNN,but has since been removed from their website.
Do you see anything wrong with this scene?
Leslie,
I’m not sure what you’re trying to say. Do you seriously believe that the stories of civilian casualties in Gaza are lies?
Closing ones eyes and ears and shouting “terrorists” does not make the dead and injured children go away.
Read the UN Human Rights Council statement about the situation.
Oystein
I think the video speaks for itself.
I realize that you are not a medical doctor,but you take photographs of medical,or surgical procedures?
Sorry,I just came upon your blog by chance when I was Googling for info on Gilbert,so not really sure what you are about.
I have served as a medic in the British army,and had some training in CPR.To my knowledge,that whole scene in the video, purporting to be two doctors trying to revive someone, is a fake.
It appears that my deduction is correct,as substantiated by doctors who have seen the video.
So,what I am saying,Oystein,is that I believe Mads Gilbert is not to be trusted.
This is my opinion,and I’m not in a court of law,so I don’t have to provide you with evidence for anything.
I trust that if you are a fair and honest person,you will research the possibilty that all is not as it seems.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t believe there are any casualties.Of course there are!
Leslie,
I am a medical photographer.
If there’s a big scam going on, why don’t the Israeli Government let the international media into Gaza to expose it, instead of denying them access? That is the real issue here. Who’s afraid of the truth?
Mads Gilbert is a respected doctor with a long history of international health work. Both the UN and the ICRC have issued statements that support the reports made by him and Dr. Fosse.
Leslie,
Are you giving an opinion or are you asserting that your deduction is correct?. If it’s the latter, am I to understand that I should take just your word that your deduction about the video is correct, but that I should have to research statements put out by the UN and ICRC??
As for CNN and the media, perhaps you’d like to ask the researchers at Glasgow Uni what they think.
Leslie, would you please stop justifying the killing of innocent children. It’s really sickening. You and all the other mega-phonies should be ashamed of yourself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaphone_desktop_tool
that was one of the worst CPRs i have seen being performed. that said, at worst they are faking and filming it but one MUST wonder, why?
The doctor’s being filmed have not made this video, nor written the voice overs. Most likely, the CNN journalists have not understood what’s happening in the scene and made the wrong comments, as journalists often do when it comes to medical issues.
I find discussing a youtube video somewhat absurd, when the casualties have reached 850 and counting, and the UN is talking about war crimes.
ure absolutely right oystein. that was where i was leading to… the underlying reasons.
most of which are so big and out of our control.
poverty, economics, religion, racial divides.
WAR crimes or not, that is something only time will tell. UN has no power to stop this war (hence the derogatory adjective of toothless watchdog), but it certainly can when its over.
“I remind this Council that violations of international humanitarian law may constitute war crime for which individual criminal responsibility may be invoked,” she said.
if they were serious, “MAY” –> “WILL”.
perhaps they need someone as forceful as Israel’s foreign minister.
I’ve recieved a few very prejudiced comments, both against Muslims and Jews, for moderation. These have been deleted, as similar comments also will be.
The Israeli Commitee Against House Demolitions has posted an interesting critical review of Israel’s arguments for the war in Gaza: