Gaza: Humanitarian Medical Aid Under Fire

More than 10 years ago, I was watching Sazae-san and saw an episode titled "Dad Buys Green Onions." As I recall, Namihei is asked to buy green onions on his way home from work and is initially furious, but later, Hanazawa-san, Katsuo's classmate, sees him walking with the green onions sticking out of his shopping bag, and it becomes a rumor. Yes, until not so long ago, a dignified father was not supposed to return home carrying something like green onions.

The Gaza Strip in Palestine has been blockaded by Israel for many years and is often called an "open-air prison." In October 2023, after Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Israel, Israel began a large-scale assault on the Gaza Strip with overwhelming military force. The conflict intensified without the offensive weakening. Since then, about one year and ten months have passed.

Although a ceasefire agreement mediated by the international community took effect on January 19, 2025, Israel resumed large-scale military operations on March 18. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the death toll has exceeded 50,000. International media are not permitted to report from within the Gaza Strip.

This book is a record of my humanitarian medical aid activities in Gaza from August to September 2024 as an Emergency Response Coordinator (field operations manager) for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). It also mentions the problems the people of Gaza face daily and their background. I wanted to examine the issues in Gaza from a more multifaceted perspective and bring their meaning to light with specificity.

Drones fly overhead day and night, disturbing sleep; attacks from land, sea, and air with disproportionate force; and residents forced to move repeatedly due to frequent evacuation orders. Infrastructure has been destroyed, and the entry of supplies is strictly limited. What does it mean for everything necessary for survival to be left to the discretion of others?

Many researchers, journalists, and humanitarian organizations in Japan have commented on the Palestinian issue and its history from various angles. However, those explanations and discourses felt far removed from what is happening on the ground right now. This is also why I felt strongly that I had to write this down.

After graduating from the Faculty of Economics and working in the oil development industry, I moved into humanitarian medical aid. My work with MSF has now entered its 17th year. The reality confronted in conflict zones is sometimes unbearable to look at. I continue my activities while constantly being challenged by the questions of what humanity and dignity truly mean.

Although the records in this book are from nearly a year ago, I believe they will help people understand the news coming out of Gaza every day with a sense of reality and specificity.

『Gaza: Humanitarian Medical Aid Under Fire』

Ken Hagiwara

Homesha

260 pages, 2,200 yen (tax included)