Dr. Mark Perlmutter operating in Gaza
US surgeon recalls amputating Palestinian child's arm without anesthesia
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- The surgeon’s testimony is featured in American Doctor, a 2026 documentary following three American physicians who traveled to Gaza to provide medical care.
US surgeon Dr. Mark Perlmutter has described the devastating conditions he witnessed while volunteering in Gaza, recalling the amputation of a young girl's arm without adequate anesthesia.
“While you’re removing her arm, you’re praying that she faints and she doesn’t,” Perlmutter said, describing one of the cases that stayed with him.
Perlmutter has previously spoken about treating children with severe injuries during medical missions to Gaza. He said he encountered children who had been shot twice, telling France 24: “No child gets shot twice by mistake.”
His testimony is featured in American Doctor, a 2026 documentary following three American physicians who traveled to Gaza to provide medical care. Perlmutter, an orthopedic surgeon, is one of the three doctors featured in the film. The documentary premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
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Gaza’s medical crisis
UNICEF says at least 21,700 children had been killed and 45,000 injured in Gaza between October 2023 and June 30, 2026, including more than 11,000 children with life-altering injuries.
Palestinian figures cited by Anadolu say more than 1,000 children have undergone amputations, while thousands more face severe or permanent injuries and some require medical evacuation for treatment unavailable inside Gaza.
UNICEF has also warned that children who survive their injuries continue to face displacement, malnutrition, trauma and limited access to medical care. The agency said more than 64,000 children in Gaza had been reported killed or injured since October 2023.
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