A group of prominent academics and healthcare professionals have pointed out how the collapse of the hospital healthcare system in the Gaza Strip has \u201creinforced\u201d Israel\u2019s \u201cgenocidal intent\u201d. In their detailed letter to the editor published in the Journal of Public Health and Emergency on 25 March, and with statistics updated as at 2 April, academics from universities including the University of Genoa, Harvard University, Boston University School of Medicine and King\u2019s College, University of London, also pointed out the international \u201cduty to protect the people of Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the heavy burden placed on medical personnel who opted to resist evacuation orders issued by the Israel occupation forces, they explained, their \u201cresilience\u201d has saved \u201cmany\u201d patients. \u201cMany suggest [that] these clinicians should receive the Nobel Peace Prize.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chronically ill patients, including \u201c1,200 dialysis patients\u201d \u2014 of which 45 were children \u2014 have been unable to receive care. \u201cTheir fate is unknown.\u201d Moreover, due to the attacks on hospitals and destruction of their facilities, \u201cIt is thought that the majority of approximately 1,500 [the figure may be much higher] fragile neonates born [between October and January] \u2026 have likely died, unregistered\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The authors of the article note that while the situation in the Gaza Strip \u201ccould be called a perfect storm, it is more aptly named by UN agencies and experts a perfect crime.\u201d The disaster, they add, is man-made. \u201cA cascade of measures that is leading to the injury and death of a large part of the civilian population, from the north to the south of Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such attacks on healthcare facilities committed by the Israel occupation forces are, they added, \u201cboth forbidden according to international humanitarian law and the laws of war.\u201d They amount to \u201ccollective punishment\u201d of the \u201centire [Palestinian] civilian population\u201d in the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In conclusion, the authors referred to the refusal by the Israeli government to accept an international investigation as requested by the local Ministry of Health and by independent NGOs and UN bodies. \u201cThe rapid destruction by Israeli forces of the alleged \u2018proof\u2019 that Hamas and militant factions were operating within or adjacent to hospitals, leaves as the only proof that [which is] provided by the self-produced Israel Defence Forces (IDF) videos and erases the opportunity to test the validity of Israeli claims.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The authors ended by calling, \u201ctogether with 153 countries in the General Assembly at the UN, all UN health and humanitarian agencies, health workers\u2019 networks, and many millions in the streets, for the only solution: \u2018immediate unconditional ceasefire now\u2019, \u2018stop the blockade of Gaza\u2019, \u2018immediate restoration of the healthcare system\u2019, according to international laws and signed agreements.\u201d They also called for accountability and the payment by Israel of the cost of repairing the damage for which it is responsible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: MEMO)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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