Doctors Without Borders: “Israeli” Occupation Actions Harm Palestinian Healthcare Access
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has released a critical report today, highlighting the devastating impact of Zionist military operations in the West Bank and ongoing movement restrictions on Palestinians’ access to essential healthcare. Titled Harm and Denial of Health Care, the report draws attention to a pattern of repression that the International Court of Justice has described as akin to racial segregation and apartheid.
The report, which covers the period from October 2023 to October 2024, includes testimonies from 38 patients, MSF workers, and hospital teams. These interviews reflect a dire situation where Zionist incursions and severe movement restrictions have drastically hindered Palestinians’ ability to access basic services, particularly healthcare. The situation has worsened since the ceasefire in Gaza, with many Palestinians suffering not only from physical harm but also from deep psychological distress.
Brice de le Vigne, MSF Emergency Coordinator, emphasized the tragic consequences of these actions, stating, “Palestinian patients are dying simply because they cannot reach hospitals.” MSF has reported numerous instances of Zionist forces intercepting ambulances carrying critically ill patients, raiding medical facilities during military operations, and subjecting healthcare workers to violence.
The organization has also reported a troubling increase in attacks on medical staff and facilities, including hospitals being targeted, temporary medical sites in refugee camps being destroyed, and paramedics and medical workers being harassed, detained, injured, or even killed by Zionist occupation forces. The situation underscores the severe challenges facing healthcare providers in the occupied territories, with the MSF report urging immediate international attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis.
