« In Gaza, the situation is extremely critical. Power outages are affecting hospitals, which now rely on backup generators. Insecurity is hindering the population’s access to essential health services, as healthcare workers and patients cannot reach health facilities » – Hortense Devalière, Palestine Program Manager for Médecins du Monde Switzerland.
Médecins du Monde, which has been working in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 1994, calls on the Israeli and Palestinian authorities to respect and uphold international humanitarian law in the face of the escalating violence in both territories since Palestinian brigades al-Qassam and al-Quds fired thousands of rockets and carried out ground incursions into towns near the Gaza border on Saturday, October 7, resulting in over 900 deaths on the Israeli side and more than 2,600 injuries, according to Israeli emergency medical services.
The Israeli army has heavily bombarded the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 770 deaths and nearly 4,100 injuries to date, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Health. The situation in the West Bank is highly precarious and tense. Médecins du Monde warns of the critical situation facing the population in the occupied Palestinian territory, which threatens the lives and health of hundreds of thousands of people in what is already considered the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the UN began keeping records in 2005.
Respect for International Humanitarian Law
Furthermore, as an international humanitarian organization, we demand that humanitarian access, healthcare, medical evacuations, access to health centers and hospitals, as well as the protection of civilians and healthcare and emergency personnel, be ensured in full compliance with international humanitarian law.
Under the Geneva Conventions, occupying powers have a duty to ensure that the medical needs of the civilian population in occupied territories are met.
The humanitarian organization therefore calls on the Israeli government to respect humanitarian access to areas where civilians have been attacked. This access is essential to allow the import of medical supplies, the passage of medical teams and humanitarian personnel, and the evacuation of patients requiring medical care outside the Gaza Strip.
Providing Basic Supplies to the Palestinian Population
Médecins du Monde calls for all basic supplies to be ensured for the entire Palestinian population, in full compliance with international humanitarian law.
The organization also demands the release of civilians taken hostage by Hamas militants and the cessation of hostilities against the Israeli population.
Moreover, Médecins du Monde reminds that the essential needs of the Palestinian population are largely covered by international humanitarian aid. Any suspension of this aid would further exacerbate their extreme vulnerability.
Potentially Dramatic Consequences
Médecins du Monde is concerned about the impact this escalation of the conflict could have on the health and well-being of the civilian population, as well as on the capacity of the health system to cope with the risk of overcrowding in clinics and services.
Due to the Palestinian occupation and the blockade of Gaza, the Gaza Strip has been suffering from a prolonged crisis for over 16 years. The population of Gaza has been exposed to several military escalations (2007, 2012, 2014, 2021, and now in 2023).
Médecins du Monde in Palestine
Médecins du Monde has been present in Palestine since 1994 and has been developing its activities in the Gaza Strip since 2019.
- The teams are notably strengthening access to mental health and psychosocial support.
- They are also strengthening the capacities of medical personnel to meet the medical needs of the Palestinian population.
- The organization also provides an emergency response
and long-term intervention in coordination with various institutional and civil society actors (training of local medical staff, provision of medical equipment and medicines, particularly in the fields of orthopedic and trauma surgery).