‘Nothing could prepare me for seeing impact of conflict’
The SNP Foreign Affairs spokesperson has said “nothing could have prepared” him for seeing the impact of the conflict in Gaza first-hand.
Having recently visited the region, SNP MP Brendan O’hara said what he saw was “harrowing”, leaving him with a level of despondency that came in “waves”.
The Argyll and Bute MP described civilians suffering without painkillers, children whose parents were permanently disabled by attacks, as well huge delays to aid trucks getting into Gaza.
Speaking to The Scotsman, Mr O’hara also questioned how MPS who did not do all the could to stop the conflict could live with themselves.
He said: “I think, maybe it’s my Christian background, I’ve got to be a witness, that’s all I can do as an individual. I can only be truthful with what I’ve seen, and say this is truly awful. “I think the worst moment for me was a few weeks ago, we were at the Gaza border. That’s where all the trucks were lined up, hundreds of hundreds of aid trucks queuing up to be inspected before trying to get into Gaza.
“We visited a hospital, we saw some of the very, very lucky ones who had managed to get out, and that was absolutely harrowing.
“Not just because of the injuries that we saw, or the kids who had missed their months of cancer treatment, or dialysis treatment, but the children running about.
“You’d see the doctor and say whose children are these, and they’d point to a woman lying motionless in a bed with a snapped spine who will never walk again, and these poor kids have no idea what they’re in the middle of. You have no idea how damaged these children are going to be growing up.
“I saw a young man who was in Rafah, whose house was hit by an Israeli missile and fell down on him, burst him from the spine down.
“When we arrived in his ward, his painkillers were wearing off and he was screaming in agony. It was beyond belief.
“You’ve got to remind yourself, these are the lucky ones. “How bad must it be, if these are the lucky ones? “As awful as seeing on your phone and going to these briefings is, nothing could prepare me for actually going there and actually seeing it for myself. Harrowing doesn’t begin to describe it.”
Mr O’hara described a ceasefire as “essential”, and said the conflict was a “huge moment” with a clear obligation to do the right thing.
He said: “I think people say to us in the future, whether our children or our grandchildren, they will look back at this time and they’ll say ‘well you were there, what did you do, what did you say, what did you fight to make this stop?’
“I think as an MP you cannot look at your grandchildren and say you did absolutely everything you could, you left no stone unturned, in calling out breaches of international law, and condemning airstrikes, and calling for hostages to be released, and at least trying to facilitate an immediate ceasefire as early and quickly as you possibly can in this conflict, then I don’t see how you can live with yourself.”