DaysofPal – Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned that Israel’s actions across the occupied Palestinian territories since October 7, 2023, have devastated Palestinians’ ability to live healthy and dignified lives, accusing Israel of systematically dismantling healthcare, restricting humanitarian aid, and intensifying military policies that have left millions facing catastrophic conditions.
In a statement marking more than 1,000 days since the start of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, MSF said the cumulative impact of Israel’s policies in Gaza and the occupied West Bank reflects a broader project of colonization through occupation, with profound consequences for Palestinian civilians.
Gaza: Growing Humanitarian Catastrophe
MSF said violence has continued despite a cease-fire, with Palestinians still being killed and injured daily in tents, hospitals, and on the streets.
The organization said June was the deadliest month since the ceasefire took effect in October. As of July 18, Israeli forces had killed 1,144 Palestinians and injured 3,703 others since the truce was announced, bringing the overall death toll since October 2023 to more than 73,200.
It also warned that Israel’s expanding military control through the so-called “Yellow Line” has forced more than two million people into roughly one-third of the Gaza Strip. It said the shrinking humanitarian space has created extreme overcrowding, worsening the spread of respiratory infections, skin diseases, and diarrheal illnesses due to severe shortages of clean water, sanitation, and adequate shelter.
West Bank Violence and Healthcare Under Pressure
MSF said the occupied West Bank has also undergone a dramatic escalation in violence since October 2023, citing increased military operations, settler attacks, land seizures, movement restrictions, and economic pressures that have further undermined Palestinian communities.
The group emphasized that Palestinians are increasingly experiencing violence in their homes, schools, and agricultural areas and that travel restrictions have made it much harder for them to access hospitals and medical care.
Medical teams in cities such as Nablus and Hebron have reported rising cases of trauma, anxiety, and depression linked to the deteriorating security situation.
MSF accused Israel of systematically obstructing access to healthcare in the West Bank while deliberately dismantling Gaza’s health system by targeting hospitals, ambulances, healthcare workers, and patients.
The organization highlighted the case of Dr. Mohammed Obeid, an MSF surgeon who was arrested during an Israeli raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza on October 26, 2024. According to MSF, he remains imprisoned without charge along with more than 95 Palestinian healthcare workers, and the organization renewed its call for his immediate and unconditional release.
MSF also reported that at least 1,700 healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, including 15 members of its own staff, leaving the territory’s healthcare system severely depleted and facing years of recovery.
Aid Restrictions Deepen the Crisis
The organization said humanitarian operations have faced increasing obstacles after Israeli authorities deregistered 37 humanitarian organizations in January. MSF said Israel continues to restrict the entry of international medical personnel and essential humanitarian supplies into both Gaza and the occupied West Bank, leaving aid deliveries far below the population’s needs.
According to MSF, the combined impact of military operations, restrictions on humanitarian assistance, damage to healthcare infrastructure, shortages of food and water, and barriers to medical care has created an unprecedented public health emergency.
The organization concluded that meaningful international action is urgently needed to protect civilians, guarantee unrestricted humanitarian access, safeguard healthcare services, and ensure accountability. Without a major shift in international policy, MSF warned, the humanitarian crisis will continue to claim more Palestinian lives.
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