Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned that ongoing and expanding Israeli military attacks and control over the Gaza Strip are causing what it described as a deliberate pattern of destruction and “suffocation of life”.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the organisation said living conditions for Palestinians remain “dire and catastrophic”, blaming what it called the deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid, which has led to preventable deaths.
MSF said the so-called ceasefire in place since last October has not ended the suffering of civilians, noting that at least 733 people have been killed and 1,913 others injured during that period.
The organisation added that its medical teams have carried out more than 40,000 wound dressings for injuries caused by violence, including gunfire and explosions. It said more than 60 per cent of cases treated in its clinics in Gaza City were the result of direct injuries from attacks.
READ: 2 dead bodies arrive at Gaza hospitals, death toll surges to over 72,320
MSF quoted its emergency director, Claire San Filippo, as saying “Six months on, the ceasefire has failed to end the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, with Israeli authorities continuing to impose conditions intended to destroy conditions of life” by limiting aid entry and cancelling the registration of 37 international relief organisations including MSF.
“Despite the reduction of the intensity of violence, Israeli attacks are continuous and the situation remains catastrophic. People’s needs are massive, yet Israeli authorities have continued to systematically restrict the entry of humanitarian aid,” Filippo added.
The group said it had been prevented from bringing medical supplies into Gaza since the start of the year.
The statement added that the healthcare system is facing what it described as “systematic suffocation”, with more than 18,500 patients – including 4,000 children – waiting for medical evacuation that has not been authorised.
READ: Smotrich speaks about Israel’s intention to expand in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza