LONDON: Israeli strikes on Gaza are 鈥渟hredding people to pieces,鈥� a British surgeon working in hospitals there has told the Daily Telegraph.

Tom Potokar, a plastic surgeon working in southern Gaza, said he was at the European Hospital when it was attacked by Israel.

Its new offensive has been met by international condemnation, with Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry saying hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in recent days.

Potokar, who is now stationed at Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, said: 鈥淵ou have to consider that the Gaza Strip is, geographically, a very small area and yet there are nearly two million people living here.

鈥淪o, when you drop ordnance 鈥� with the amounts being used and the type of weapons being used in such a small, densely populated area 鈥� you are literally shredding people to pieces.鈥�

Potokar was forced to move hospital three times in the past week to avoid Israeli bombing. Describing the attack on the European Hospital, he said: 鈥淚t is difficult to imagine how human beings can treat other human beings in this way. To see children particularly with horrific injuries and amputations, to see pregnant women requiring major surgery 鈥� it鈥檚 absolute brutality.鈥�

Israeli attacks on hospitals have drawn widespread condemnation from humanitarian organizations.

The UN Human Rights Office and Human Rights Watch said Israeli bombardment is pushing Gaza鈥檚 already-damaged healthcare system to the brink of collapse.

Potokar was also near an airstrike that hit Al-Amal Hospital. 鈥淚t was around 6 a.m. and a massive strike happened about 400 meters from the hospital, with heavy machine gun fire and helicopters,鈥� he said.

鈥淭hankfully, there were no casualties in the hospital, but a huge piece of shrapnel landed in front of the emergency room.鈥�

He added: 鈥淲hat is the West doing, what is the rest of the world doing? Churning out press statement after press statement but nothing is changing.

鈥淭his will be a stain on humanity when people look back in years to come, when we say 鈥榟ow did we allow this to happen?鈥� We鈥檝e been here before, and no lessons are being learned.鈥�

Potokar said: 鈥淭he killing goes on, the slaughter goes on and these are people like you and me.鈥�