From the heart of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis comes the testimony of Martina Marchiò, nurse for Doctors Without Borders. In this interview, she takes us beyond the newspaper headlines to reveal the reality of a conflict where international law is suspended, and humanitarian work unfolds under constant threat. By documenting the operational difficulties when providing healthcare in Gaza, she highlights the critical issues related to the protection of humanitarian missions, the safety of medical personnel, and access to care for civilians.
Disclaimer: The following testimony has been translated from Italian to English. Any opinions expressed in this interview belong to the interviewee, and not necessarily UPF Lund or the Perspective’s Editorial Board.
1. What inspired you to go on this mission?
In October 2023, I was working in the Amazon forest in Brazil when I started learning more about what was happening in Gaza through articles, videos and my colleagues. A desire to contribute, even in a small way, by bringing my experience to Gaza, was growing. So, once I returned to Italy, I got selected as medical responsible and I left for Gaza in April 2024 to work in the central-southern area of the Strip during the Rafah ground invasion, and then again in April 2025 for the north, in Gaza City.
2. Can you explain the process and challenges of accessing and leaving Gaza as a humanitarian worker?
The entry and exit of international humanitarian workers are managed and controlled by Israel, both in terms of timing and procedures. The specific days and times of every rotation of in/out is decided by Israel, and every humanitarian worker needs to go through various checks before getting the green light. Since May 2024, humanitarian workers have to leave from Amman (Jordan), then they pass through Israel, and finally they arrive in Gaza. It is a long trip, from 6 am to late afternoon, with several checkpoints.
3. How does it feel to work in an area where you are never really safe and you need to be prepared to move quickly to another place?
Working in the Gaza Strip means realizing that nobody is immune and that no safe place really exists. Over 600 humanitarian workers, 1700 medical personnel and 250 journalists have been killed since October 2023. All 36 hospitals have been hit and/or forced to evacuate, and the few hospitals still standing are partially operational and are working at three times their capacity. In Gaza, work is carried out in constant flexibility, keeping in mind plans A, B, C, D in order to adapt activities based on the context, the attacks, the evacuation orders, and the people moving. Clear-headedness and adaptability to extreme conditions are essential in that environment.
4. How are the medical operations organized? And how do you find a new “safe” place for the medical activities?
Medical personnel work in collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH), as well as with various NGOs and UN agencies, to address the population’s needs efficiently and avoid duplicating activities. Regarding the infrastructure, during my time in Gaza, I worked in the main MOH hospitals, Al-Aqsa in Deir al-Balah in the central area and Shifa in Gaza City, in the emergency room, OT, surgical departments, and wards. Additionally, I operated in a field hospital that operates to support the MOH in terms of surgery, emergency care, wound management, and at a trauma stabilization point for stabilization and referral of injured patients. Finally, I worked in clinics in which around 500-700 patients come every day for primary health care, maternal and breastfeeding health, wound care, physiotherapy, malnutrition, chronic diseases, vaccinations, mental health needs, and other medical conditions. The resources are extremely limited and the situation has drastically worsened since March 2025 with the border closure. Aid is instrumentalized and hunger is used as a weapon.
Finding buildings in adequate condition in which to establish new medical activities has become increasingly challenging since 90% of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed. We often had to work in tents or manage logistical tasks to rehabilitate buildings, which would then serve as health facilities. Before locating a temporal medical unit or field hospital, valuation of the environment and its safety are carried out to determine the best location. The GPS coordinates of each facility are always communicated and agreed upon by both parties before starting any logistical work, and again before beginning medical activities.
5. How often did you find yourself in a situation of life-threatening danger?
There have been many attacks in close proximity to me. Once, it happened just 90 metres from where I was, with no warning. I was on the balcony of my office when suddenly I heard a big explosion. For a moment, I was paralyzed by the sound that struck my ears violently, and the blast of air felt like a slap. Within seconds, I rushed inside to grab my always-ready 10-kg backpack and went down to the designated safe room. That day, I spent 17 hours with my colleagues in that room, with several explosions echoing around us.
6. How are humanitarian workers and the community kept informed about what is happening around them?
The sad truth is that, often, no one is informed of anything. The attacks just happen suddenly. Sometimes, evacuation orders for specific buildings or entire areas arrive as small papers dropped from the sky or as text messages.
7. What makes this mission in Gaza different from the other missions you participated in?
To witness a genocide firsthand is something that can never be forgotten. Living in an ‘open-air prison’, in a place where International Humanitarian Law has no value, being an eyewitness to the systematic killing of civilians, the destruction of everything essential to life, hunger and thirst employed as war weapons, forced displacement and the annihilation of a people… are experiences that stay with you forever.
8. Why did you decide to talk about your experience? Do you think ‘sharing stories’ can make a change?
Silence is complicity and kills. Sharing and using the right words can save lives. In the Western world, sadly, an international voice like mine is respected more than that of a Palestinian. For this reason, I decided to take advantage of my privilege to bear witness and raise awareness. There is a before and after Gaza, for the world and humanity. One day, future generations will ask us where we were and what we were doing while an entire people was being destroyed with such unforgivable brutality and inhumanity.
9. What can we do now and in the future, considering that although there is currently a ‘truce,’ Israel continues bombing, and even if a peace treaty is reached, many people will still be in a difficult situation?
This truce is a moment of respite for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. However, the end of this genocide is still far off. Israel continues bombing and destroying civilian infrastructure across the Strip. Humanitarian aid is still being used as a weapon and is not reaching those in need as it should. The population remains hungry and thirsty. Therefore, our attention and presence are needed. We should continue filling squares and streets to demonstrate our support, to stand with and fight for Gaza. In a context of institutional silence, active citizenship can be the answer if we unite for justice. Many small drops can form the ocean that brings change and shape the course of history.
By Manuela Corrado and Rebecca Barbera
December 04, 2025
