Gaza before 7 October is a short documentary that illustrates the challenges facing healthcare workers in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, prior to October 2023, the resilience and robust nature of the system at that time, and the unfathomable loss and devastation that has followed.

This documentary was partly filmed in May 2023, some five months prior to the war that has now engulfed Gaza. It explores the impact of Israel’s blockade on Gaza, making it extremely difficult to import essential medical items, such C-arms (mobile x-ray machines, essential for orthopaedic surgeries). However, as stated above, it also showcases the relative strength of Gaza’s healthcare system prior to October, offering advanced surgical care, research and stewardship on antimicrobial resistance among other things.

Today that healthcare system no longer exists, it has been systematically dismantled in bombing, fighting; the killing, abuse and arrest of medical professionals and patients.