Hi again. Today, I'll tell you about the incredible carpenters at the field hospital, including Mohammed. Thanks to their ingenuity, we're able to provide handmade crutches made from pallets for our patients to help them regain their mobility. 🎥 Mohammed in his workshop.

As I sign off from these updates, I wish I could say things have improved since June. But they haven't. All we can do is hold onto small pieces of happiness: watching flowers grow or sharing quiet moments of humanity with colleagues and patients. Until next time. - Rieke

My heart breaks for my Palestinian colleagues. They're incredibly brave, but they shouldn't have to be. We praise their strength, but every day they wake up and have to face new challenges with no end in sight. It's exhausting for every civilian. 📸 Neveen teaching a colleague.

When I returned to Gaza for this rotation, Mohammad had found some seeds to grow flowers for the hospital. 📸 Here are some of his seedlings beginning to sprout.

As well as making crutches, in his spare time Mohammed crafts small wooden houses to give to patients and staff. In a place where hope is as scarce as medical supplies, his handmade gifts bring small moments of joy to our field hospital.

Ordinarily, we would never have to resort to making our own crutches on site. But with everything in such short supply, we make do and mend. It’s an improvised solution for the ongoing supply issue. 📸 Carpenters checking if this pallet’s planks are strong enough for crutches.

On another note, remember the carpenter I mentioned back in July? His name’s also Mohammed, and he’s still hard at work making crutches and little wooden crafts he gifts to staff and patients. Tomorrow, I’ll talk about how important those small moments of joy can be. – Rieke

In happier news, I met a former patient Mohamed, and his brother. Mohamed was shot in June, when we had to manage multiple MCIs after the food distribution sites opened. He was caring for his brother at the time, who was also a patient here. 🔊 Mohamed (R) and Ahmed (L).

4-year-old Ahmed was admitted with explosive injuries. Both his parents and sibling were killed, leaving him orphaned. You can hear his heartbreaking cries in the background. I have to say it’s not an easy listen. 🔊 His half cast was one of the smallest I’ve ever made.

Hi again, Rieke here. Today, I want you to hear the stories of some of our patients at the Red Cross Field Hospital. 🔊 The physio team have been working with Hala, a woman who was shot in the foot, by the same bullet that hit her sister and passed through her abdomen.

Tomorrow, I’ll share some voice notes about some of the wounded women, children, and men that we’ve been treating. Their stories are tragic. Just more lives marked by trauma, injury, and loss. - Rieke

Stray bullets are still a real threat. We had to build a metal pergola over the operating theatre for extra security. The other week, we found a bullet on the theatre floor. It’s not much, but at least a thin metal roof offers some protection for our staff and patients.

We only have three old and shaky walking for around 100 patients who need them. 🎥 This is one of them. They’re so worn out that the patients have to work even harder. But we have no choice but to keep using them.

Even the most basic items we need for a hospital, like soap, gloves, and alcohol gel are sometimes in short supply. 📸 Here's a photo of our team trying to make liquid soap.

Mass casualty incidents. Critical supply challenges. A constant stream of wounded: men, women, and children. It should never feel normal, but somehow, I’ve come to expect it. 📸 Preparing a splint for a patient with a broken leg during an MCI.

The situation is still dire. Mass casualty incidents continue. The pace is slower than in June/July, but the human cost is equally devastating. On 2 September, 29 wounded people arrived at our field hospital. Three died. 📸 Another bloodied stretcher (warning: graphic).

Hi again, Rieke here – I’ve just left Gaza after another rotation at the Red Cross Field Hospital with the @ICRC. In July, I told you about mass casualties, stray bullets, and shortages of medical supplies. Here's what I saw on the ground.

In the south of Gaza, entire families who are displaced from the north have no shelter and are sleeping on the streets. Our colleague Amani describes some of the scenes.

"With every limb saved, every smile restored, and every life pulled back from the brink, I remember why I chose this path." Egyptian anesthesiologist Dr. Aktham Al-Farnawani has worked with the ICRC from South Sudan to Nigeria. This is his story. 👇 https://t.co/EaKfx8ahAy

“Everybody works together to get these people home to their families. That’s the end goal.” Forensic specialist Niamh Smith spoke to @BryyKG for @Independent about her work supporting the repatriation of human remains between Russia and Ukraine. https://t.co/MV2OFo1kW3