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Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has released a harrowing new report, “Gaza: Life in a Death Trap”, which reveals the staggering scale of devastation and the near collapse of life in Gaza caused by sustained Israeli military attacks, siege, and blockade over the past 14 months. The report paints a catastrophic picture: targeted assaults on civilians, a dismantled health care system, and systematic obstruction of humanitarian aid. MSF urgently calls for an immediate ceasefire to halt the destruction and allow essential humanitarian assistance to flow.
“Gaza is unlivable. Nowhere is safe, no one is spared, and people are trapped in apocalyptic conditions,” said Christopher Lockyear, MSF Secretary General, who visited the enclave earlier this year. “The Israeli offensive has obliterated hospitals, homes, and basic infrastructure. What we are witnessing on the ground reflects descriptions from numerous experts pointing to genocide and ethnic cleansing.”
Unprecedented Human Toll
The report underscores the devastating consequences of Israel’s response to the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas and other armed groups, which killed 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages. In retaliation, Israel has waged an all-out war on Gaza, resulting in the deaths of more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Ministry of Health. The real toll is likely much higher due to collapsed health care, disease outbreaks, and inhumane living conditions.
Key findings include:
Forced Displacement: 1.9 million people—90% of Gaza’s population—have been displaced, many multiple times, as bombardments intensify.
Health System Collapse: Fewer than half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functional. Medical teams face relentless attacks, with MSF staff enduring 41 violent incidents in a single year. Patients and staff have been forced to evacuate hospitals 17 times under fire.
Humanitarian Aid Blockade: In October 2024, the average number of aid trucks entering Gaza plummeted to 37 per day—a catastrophic drop from the pre-war 500 trucks daily.
Gaza’s Collapsing Health and Humanitarian Systems
The health care crisis is compounded by Israel’s systematic denial of medical evacuations and humanitarian access. Between May and September 2024, Israel authorized only 1.6% of critical patient evacuations. MSF teams report alarming increases in malnutrition, infectious diseases, and untreated chronic illnesses as displaced families live in overcrowded, unhygienic shelters with no access to basic needs.
Children face an unimaginable future, missing critical immunizations and care. MSF warns that without immediate action, preventable diseases like measles, polio, and diarrhea will ravage the already vulnerable population.
"Palestinians are enduring inhumane and dehumanizing conditions," Lockyear added. "They are killed in their homes, hospitals, and displacement shelters. Even basic necessities—food, water, soap—are inaccessible. This is not survival; it is torment."
Deliberate Blockades and Indifference
The report highlights Israel’s refusal to comply with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order issued on January 26, 2024, which demanded immediate measures to allow humanitarian aid. Instead, Israeli authorities have escalated restrictions, even banning UNRWA, Gaza’s largest provider of essential aid and services.
The situation in northern Gaza has become especially dire. Following Israel’s “scorched-earth” offensives, regions like Jabalia camp remain besieged and starved of aid, leaving tens of thousands in peril.
A Call to Action: Immediate Ceasefire and Humanitarian Access
MSF calls on Israel’s allies and the international community to fulfill their moral and legal obligations:
Demand an immediate and sustained ceasefire to save lives.
Ensure safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to address urgent needs.
Pressure Israel to comply with international humanitarian law and ICJ directives.
Long-term Catastrophe
Even if hostilities ended today, the report warns that Gaza faces a generational crisis. Thousands of wounded face the risk of amputation, infection, and lifelong disabilities without adequate rehabilitative care. Meanwhile, the collective trauma of violence, loss, and displacement will have devastating long-term impacts on mental health and social stability.
The Final Plea
Doctors Without Borders remains on the ground, providing lifesaving medical assistance under impossible conditions. But the organization warns that without immediate global action, Gaza’s destruction will become a permanent stain on the conscience of humanity.
“The total annihilation of Palestinian life in Gaza must stop,” Lockyear urged. “This death trap cannot be ignored any longer.”
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