Braving the ongoing war, ambulance drivers in Gaza have been working round the clock to save people's lives since the latest round of the Palestine-Israel conflict broke out on October 7, 2023.
The challenges they are facing are numerous and sometimes deadly: the road conditions are poor, the vehicles they drive are old and outdated and they are frequently targeted by the Israeli attacks.
This is indeed a genocidal war that doesn't differentiate between the old and the young, according to Motaz Ayoub, an ambulance driver in Gaza.
"One day, probably on Nov 18, I received an emergency call from the Al-Alami area, which was under attack. When I got to the scene, I saw it was my grandfather's house that had been targeted. My family had taken refuge there as our home had already been hit. My father and mother, my elder brother, his wife and child, my younger brother and my sisters were all hiding in the house. Everyone in my family was injured in this attack. No one came out unharmed," Ayoub said.
In addition, Ayoub said that the ambulances they drive are outdated and in a terrible condition, with some being over 20 years old. In addition, the ambulances are often targeted by the Israeli military.
"We did everything to repair these ambulances, but they have been targeted. Now, there are three ambulances that are out of service. The ambulance we are using is a 2001 model. The international norm is for an ambulance to be used for five years. So, one model in 2001 should have been retired around 2006 after being in service for five years. But we are dependent on this vehicle, as well as on very limited resources," he said.
"These challenges all come to the fore during our rescue efforts," he continued.
These challenges will impact their ability to save civilian lives. If they have no fuel and if an area is under attack, they can't reach the scene on time. So, major injuries become serious, and severe injuries become fatal, he explained.
He noted that most of the mechanics from the north and Gaza City have moved south. The serious lack of mechanics and repair workshops is another major problem. The repair workshops have been attacked. Most of the repair workshops in the Gaza Strip, especially those in Gaza City, have been targeted.
Ambulance drivers in Gaza brave war to work round clock to save people's lives
