Gaza has become a mass grave for Palestinians, aid workers: MSF
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Doctors Without Borders publishes a statement denouncing "Israel's" continuous disregard for human life in Gaza, Palestinians, and aid workers in the Strip alike.
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United Nations and Red Crescent workers prepare the aid for distribution to Palestinians at an UNRWA warehouse in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza Strip, on Monday, October 23, 2023 (AP)
"Israel's" expanding military offensive in Gaza, including airstrikes, ground operations, and naval attacks, is forcibly displacing civilians while deliberately blocking humanitarian aid, leaving Palestinians in impossible living conditions, according to a Doctors Without Borders statement published on Wednesday.
“Gaza has been turned into a mass grave of Palestinians and those coming to their assistance. We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in Gaza,” MSF's emergency coordinator in Gaza, Amande Bazerolle, stated.
“With nowhere safe for Palestinians or those trying to help them, the humanitarian response is severely struggling under the weight of insecurity and critical supply shortages, leaving people with few, if any, options for accessing care," she added.
Systematic aid destruction
The security situation, which has been catastrophic for the past 18 months, has deteriorated further over the last three weeks, with Doctors Without Borders documenting multiple incidents involving the killing of humanitarian and medical workers.
Coordination of humanitarian movements with Israeli authorities, known as the "humanitarian notification system", has become increasingly unreliable and offers almost no protection guarantees, according to the organization.
Humanitarian workers had informed Israeli authorities of their presence in locations such as health centers, offices, bases, and staff residences of Doctors Without Borders, yet these sites were still shelled or fired upon, forcing MSF teams to evacuate multiple facilities while other centers continued operating with staff and patients trapped inside for hours, unable to leave safely, according to the organization.
“This horrific killing of aid workers is yet another example of the complete disregard shown by Israeli forces for the protection of humanitarian and medical workers. The silence and unconditional support of Israel's closest allies further emboldens these actions,” said Claire Magone, General Director of MSF.
Doctors Without Borders stated in the report that the total siege imposed on Gaza has depleted food, fuel, and medical supplies, with the organization now facing critical shortages of pain medications, treatments for chronic diseases, antibiotics, and essential surgical equipment, according to the statement.
“There is no way they can carry out their mission under such circumstances. This is not a humanitarian failure — it is a political choice, and a deliberate assault on a people’s ability to survive, carried out with impunity," the statement concluded.
