Surgeon stuck in Gaza describes waking to sound of rockets

A UK-based doctor working in Gaza has described how he was woken by the sound of rockets as the latest conflict in the region began.

Dr Abdelkader Hammad, a surgeon at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, is currently sheltering with other foreign nationals and the United Nations.

He has spent the last 10 years visiting the area to undertake kidney transplants and train local doctors.

"The situation at the moment is out of control," he said.

Hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians have been killed after Hamas militants attacked Israel on Saturday.

Dr Hammad said within 20 minutes "everything had changed" as the conflict began

Nine US citizens are now confirmed dead, while more than 10 British citizens are feared dead or missing.

"I was woken up by the noise from the rocket and then within twenty minutes obviously everything had changed," Dr Hammad said.

"During the night and the day we can hear and feel the air strikes and explosions around us in the distance and sometimes very close to us.

"It took us all by surprise really, but if you look at the situation in Gaza for the past 10 years and the situation of the standard of living, the economic situation, I think that probably in retrospect you probably think that this would happen at some stage."

Dr Hammad, who arrived in Gaza on Friday, usually undertakes between four and five kidney transplants each visit.

Dr Hammad is sheltering with other foreign nationals with the UN

"Obviously I'm worried about my own safety here but also I come here to save lives," he said.

"So in the scale of things at the moment if you save five people but at the same time a lot of people are killed its not the sort of thing that you would condone.

"But also I think the situation at the moment is out of control.

"I'm not a politician, I am a doctor and my object is to save lives and I really get despaired by seeing so many civilians, children, women from both sides have been killed."

The compound where Dr Hammad is staying