At least 60 Palestinians were killed[1] including 8 children, and over 2771 injured including 225 children and 86 women by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Monday the 14th of May in which tens of thousands of Palestinians took a part in the peaceful demonstrations “Great March of Return and Breaking Blockade”. Palestinians are protesting the United States declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel and moving their embassy, also they are protesting their forced evictions and displacement since 1948 demanding the right of return that stipulated in the UN Resolution 194, as well as calling for an end to the 11-year continuous Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, with dire socioeconomic and severe humanitarian conditions, encompassing shortages in basic needs, such as water, food, and medical equipment, and the destruction of all aspects of life therein.
Palestinian health NGOs worked alongside the Ministry of Health responding to medical emergency needs. Health NGOs provided first aid and medical services to more than 2237 as well as 27 emergency surgeries, in addition to transferring more than 177 cases to hospitals. NGOs also worked really hard to provide blood units for various hospitals in which blood units sent to both governmental and non-governmental health centers.
Palestinian Health NGOs in the Gaza Strip are working under very difficult conditions; the health sector suffers from severe shortage of medicines and medical consumables as a result of 11 years of blockade and closure. The resource crisis has been exacerbated by the events of the” Great March of Return” and the influx of Palestinian civilian casualties has posed a difficult challenge for the medical staff as the available quantities of medicines and medical consumables have been consumed. All NGOs suffers from the acute shortage of drugs, medical consumables and fuel needed to operate their hospitals and health center, some of them reported that they have ZERO stock of drugs and medical supplies, and the available amount of fuel will run out within days. Therefore, urgent financial and medical mobilization is needed otherwise more Palestinians civilians including women and children will die.
The medical personnel also work under threat of occupation live fire which targets all Palestinians without any exception; peaceful demonstrators, journalists or paramedics despite the wearing of vests that clearly indicate their work. However, the systematic occupation policy of targeting field medical teams in order to obstruct their work in the evacuation and transfer of the injured, directly caused the injury of 9 NGO health staff by live ammunition and gas inhalation yesterday.MoH declared that the total number of casualties among the medical personnel is 17 wounded in clear violation of the 4thGeneva Convention for the protection of civilians.
These frequent blatant attacks on civilians constitute explicit war crimes that violate the principles of IL and are contrary to international norms and conventions of IHL.
Challenges:
- The severe shortage of drugs, medical consumables and fuel.
- Lack of financial and technical resources for hospitals and medical centers
- Shortage of International Humanitarian Aid for health NGOs reduced their ability to provide the necessary medical services
- Lack of international protection for health personnel, civil defense and journalists
- Lack of accountability by the international community to the Israeli occupation for the violation of IHRL and IHL through targeting civilians, journalists’ and health personnel.
Recommendations:
- Lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip now and allow the entering of all medicines and medical supplies, facilitate the movement of patients
- Demand the international community and their human rights institutions to provide protection to health personnel as well as to civilian demonstrators participating in the peaceful demonstrations.
- Hold the Israeli occupation accountable for the crimes committed against our people, especially the attacks committed against the civilian demonstrators and health personnel in the peaceful March of Return.
- Call donors to expedite the provision of financial support to health organizations to enable them to provide medical services in light of the significant increasing numbers of casualties during the March of Return.
- Exert efforts to end the political divide and activate the National Reconciliation Government to take over its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip, especially the Ministry of Health to promote and develop health services and protect the right to health.
This report covers the work of members of PNGO Health Sector (UHWC, PMRS, UHCC, PAH, Elwafaa Hospital and CBBS).