Doctors Without Borders accuses Israel of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Gaza
Palestinians stand in wait for a food portion at a distribution centre south of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on December 17, 2024. (AFP Photo)
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has accused Israel of engaging in “ethnic cleansing” in the Gaza Strip, detailing the severe humanitarian toll of the 14-month conflict in a report released Thursday.
The report, titled “Gaza: Life in a Death Trap”, provides a comprehensive account of attacks on medical personnel, restricted aid deliveries, and the widespread displacement of Palestinians.
Report documents Israeli attacks on health facilities and evacuations
Christopher Lockyear, MSF’s secretary general, stated, “We are seeing clear signs of ethnic cleansing as Palestinians are forcibly displaced, trapped, and bombed.”
“People in Gaza are struggling to survive apocalyptic conditions, but nowhere is safe, no one is spared, and there is no exit from this shattered enclave,” said Christopher Lockyear, MSF secretary general, who visited Gaza earlier this year.
“While we don’t have the legal authority to establish intentionality, the signs of ethnic cleansing and the ongoing devastation—including mass killings, severe physical and mental health injuries, forced displacement, and impossible conditions of life for Palestinians under siege and bombardment—are undeniable,” he added.
The report documents 41 attacks on MSF staff, including airstrikes targeting health facilities and direct fire on humanitarian convoys. MSF was forced to evacuate hospitals and health centers 17 times during the conflict, disrupting medical services for thousands.
Between October 2023 and October 2024, MSF’s medical teams conducted over 27,500 consultations and 7,500 surgeries. Despite these efforts, the organization described deteriorating health conditions in Gaza, where 90% of the population has been displaced and is living in precarious environments, fueling the rapid spread of disease.
Fewer than half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are even partially functional, and the health care system lies in ruins. During the one-year period covered by the report—from October 2023 to October 2024—MSF staff alone have endured 41 attacks and violent incidents, including airstrikes, shelling, and violent incursions in health facilities; direct fire on the organization’s shelters and convoys; and arbitrary detention of colleagues by Israeli forces.
MSF medical personnel and patients have been forced to evacuate hospitals and health facilities on 17 separate occasions, often literally running for their lives. Warring parties have conducted hostilities near medical facilities, endangering patients, caretakers, and medical staff.
Meanwhile, Palestinians’ physical and mental health injuries are overwhelming, and the needs continue to grow. MSF-supported facilities have carried out at least 27,500 consultations for violence-related injuries and 7,500 surgical interventions. People are suffering from war wounds as well as chronic diseases, made worse when they cannot access essential health care services and medicines.
Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF
Claims of ‘ethnic cleansing’ and restricted aid
MSF criticized the ongoing siege of Gaza, which has severely limited the flow of humanitarian aid. In October 2024, only 37 aid trucks were allowed into the territory daily, compared to 500 before the conflict.
MSF also reported that medical evacuation requests were largely denied, with only 1.6% approved between May and September 2024.
Lockyear highlighted growing international concern, noting that “What our medical teams have witnessed on the ground throughout this conflict is consistent with the descriptions provided by an increasing number of legal experts and organizations concluding that genocide is taking place in Gaza.”
“For more than a year, our medical staff in Gaza have witnessed a relentless campaign by the Israeli forces marked by massive destruction, devastation, and dehumanization,” said Lockyear.
“Palestinians have been killed in their homes and hospital beds. They have been forcibly displaced time and time again to areas that are not safe or healthy. People cannot find even the most basic necessities like food, clean water, medicines, and soap amid a punishing siege and blockade,” he added.
Calls for cease-fire and international action for Gaza
The MSF report calls for an immediate cease-fire, the lifting of the Gaza blockade, and unrestricted access to humanitarian aid. It also urged the international community, particularly Israel’s allies, to reconsider their support and take measures to prevent further violations.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Israel of committing “acts of genocide” by intentionally restricting Palestinians’ access to water, as outlined in its report titled “Israel’s Crime of Extermination: Acts of Genocide in Gaza“, published Thursday.
“Water is essential for human life, yet for over a year the Israeli government has deliberately denied Palestinians in Gaza the bare minimum they need to survive,” said Tirana Hassan, executive director at HRW.
“This isn’t just negligence; it is a calculated policy of deprivation that has led to the deaths of thousands from dehydration and disease that is nothing short of the crime against humanity of extermination, and an act of genocide,” she added.
“Governments should not contribute to the grave crimes that Israeli officials are committing in Gaza, including crimes against humanity and genocidal acts, and should take all steps possible to prevent further harm,” Hassan said.
“Governments arming Israel should end their risk of complicity in atrocity crimes in Gaza and take immediate action to protect civilians with an arms embargo, targeted sanctions, and support for justice,” she concluded.
