“In Ministry of Health hospitals, medical staff report that they are running out of anaesthetics and painkillers,” says Darwin Diaz, MSF Medical Coordinator in Gaza. “On the MSF side, we moved medical supplies from our two-month emergency reserves to Al-Awda hospital and now we have used three weeks’ worth of stock in three days.”
MSF staff, including medical personnel, have been extremely restricted in their movements since Saturday. They are unable to obtain safe passage to support Palestinian medical colleagues working day and night to treat the injured. People playing no role in the hostilities do not have a safe haven to go to. Our teams are witnessing a level of destruction that may already exceed previous escalations. Two of the hospitals MSF supports, Al-Awda and the Indonesian Hospital, have both sustained damage in airstrikes, while our own clinic sustained some damage in an explosion on Monday.
Today MSF is running a standalone clinic, and supporting Al-Awda hospital, Nasser hospital, and the Indonesian hospital in Gaza. MSF reopened an operational theatre in Al-Shifa on 10 October to receive burn and trauma patients. We have also donated medical supplies to Al-Shifa hospital and will continue providing support to hospitals. Our teams in Jenin, Hebron and Nablus are actively assessing the medical needs in the West Bank, as violence there is escalating. At least 27 Palestinians have been killed in settler attacks and clashes with the Israeli military.
Civilians, civilian infrastructure and healthcare facilities must be protected at all times. MSF calls on the Government of Israel to cease its campaign of collective punishment against the entirety of Gaza. Israel and Palestinian authorities and factions must establish safe spaces. The entry of humanitarian assistance, food, water, fuel, medicine, and medical equipment to the Gaza Strip must be facilitated urgently. The failure to do so will cost more lives.