CAIRO: The Doctors' Syndicate welcomed the first group of doctors who returned from Gaza after volunteering in the hospitals of the war-torn Strip. At a press conference at the Doctors' Syndicate Sunday, doctors praised the Palestinians' strength and determination, while condemning Israel's assaults on the Strip. General Manager of the Doctors' Syndicate Emergency and Relief Agency, Ibrahim Al-Zaafarany, started by thanking the "heroic doctors, saying that it took a lot of "courage and faith for them to cross over to Gaza. "Our Arab doctors went through the hardest humanitarian battles, he said. "After spending three days at the border they were allowed in, and they were on the frontline trying to save their fellow Palestinians, he added. "Egyptians and Jordanians along with many other Arab doctors were in Gaza trying to save the innocent souls, Dr Bassem El-Keswany, a Jordanian surgeon, said. El-Keswany decried the Israeli attacks on Gaza, dubbing it a "massacre, that cannot be mistaken for anything else. "[Tzipi] Livni and [Ehud] Olmert can never get away with this humanitarian scandal and an investigation committee should be formed to expose their actions to the world, concluded El-Keswany. Abdel Razeq El-Abbasy, an orthopedic surgeon from Jordan, said that there isn't a safe place in Gaza. "If anyone was walking down the streets carrying anything, even a plastic bag, he could get killed, he said. "This war is not a normal war, no bullets are shot, people are now killed with rockets that contain 1,000 kg of TNT while only 4 kg are enough to kill a person, El-Abbasy explained. Dr Ahmed Abdel Aziz, a prominent Egyptian orthopedic surgeon, described the attacks as "brutal, explaining that patients having their arms or legs amputated are better off than most. Abdel Aziz said he was astonished at the IDF's use of weapons, and condemned the random and unjustifiable killings. Some doctors also echoed accusations directed at Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), confirming their use of white phosphorus on the civilian population. "White phosphorus was proven to be used from the particles found on the ground; El-Keswany said, further suggesting that other unidentifiable chemical substances were also used. "I am sure that white phosphorous was used, Abdel Aziz said, "white phosphorous is definitely illegal, it is the kind of substance that burns with the presence of oxygen, he explained. The doctors agreed that they were the ones who benefited from this experience. "[Palestinians'] attitude towards this situation taught us faith, an Egyptian doctor said. "The Palestinians did not surrender, they never will, and they will always stay steadfast until their last breath. Dr Mohamed El Refaee, an Egyptian ear, nose and throat surgeon said. He explained that even though they've had barely anything to eat, they were still strong and persistent. Attendees at the press conference welcomed all forms of contributions and said that even female doctors will be allowed to enter Gaza.
