Brave British medic Jay records his harrowing six weeks in Gaza

CHILDREN with gunshot wounds. Emaciated patients. A surgeon collapsing from exhaustion.

- BY SIMON MURPHY

Medic Jay Matthews, 41, from Staines, saw all this and more working at charity UK-Med’s field hospital in Al-Mawasi in Gaza.

With a ceasefire finally brokered, we publish his diary, showing why continued peace is so important...

August 22, 2025

We've had six children with gunshot wounds to the abdomen, two of which have been eviscerated, so where the bowels are coming out. And it's just awful to see.

Two of them are suffering quite badly with psychological trauma as well. They can’t engage properly. They'll just start screaming, randomly. It's just awful to see they're having to go through that at their age.

August 25

Nasser Hospital is struck - 22 dead. It's incredibly close to home for us because we've worked closely with the hospital but also all the national staff.

For them to hear these things and have to find out that colleagues and friends have just passed away is incredibly difficult. To try and support them through that is incredibly hard.

I feel for them so much. One of our security guards was there and they were hit and had some shrapnel lodged in their neck. They're OK but it's a stark reminder of how close to home all these things are.

August 27

We have many malnourished patients who are struggling to heal. Lots of delayed healing because they don't have the nutrients and supplements to get their bodies to heal.