How MSF is responding to the war in Gaza

The ceasefire resolution passed by the UN Security Council on March 25 was not implemented, which renders it little more than political theater. Israeli forces continue to carry out widespread attacks that disproportionately impact civilians, and have confirmed an imminent invasion of Rafah that would be catastrophic for over one million people who are trapped there after being forced from their homes elsewhere in the Strip. Palestinians in Gaza are suffering every day from an all-out destructive military campaign that blatantly ignores the rules of war. 

The duty of treating the sick and wounded—and the correlating protection of medical personnel and facilities—is at the core of international humanitarian law. Yet, since the beginning of this war, MSF has seen a pattern of systematic attacks against medical facilities and civilian infrastructure. The health system in Gaza is being dismantled while the immense needs grow more dire each day. Attacks against hospitals and civilians must stop now.

The Israeli government's policy of deliberate deprivation—only allowing a trickle of food and water to enter Gaza—has led to widespread, deadly starvation and an imminent famine. At the same time, access restrictions by Israeli authorities prevent us from providing essential aid at scale. We cannot afford to wait for the emergency to get worse before taking action. Israeli authorities must lift the inhumane and unlawful siege and allow more medical supplies to enter Gaza, including anesthesia, so health workers can provide a basic standard of care.  

Airdrops and sea routes are no alternative to aid delivery by land. In MSF’s experience, airdrops are notoriously ineffective and can increase the risks for people who need the aid, especially in situations of war and chaos. Efforts to open a maritime corridor merely create an illusion of support for the needs of Palestinians. These methods are not any kind of solution to the extraordinary humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The food, water, and medical supplies so desperately needed are sitting just across the border. Israel needs to facilitate rather than block the ground flow of supplies. 

On January 26, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued provisional measures for Israel to take to prevent a plausible genocide in Gaza, including allowing humanitarian aid into the Strip. Yet we are witnessing a worsening situation in Gaza and indiscriminate attacks on civilians, medical and aid workers, and health facilities continue. All states that support these actions by Israel are morally and politically complicit. We call all on governments, particularly the US, UK, and allied EU member states, to do whatever in their power to influence Israel and stop supporting the ongoing siege and bloodshed. 

Israel must resume issuing medical referral permits for treatment in the West Bank and Jerusalem for severe cases that cannot be treated in Gaza. All medical referrals, patients, and their caregivers must be guaranteed safe, voluntary, and dignified return to Gaza.

Medical services

MSF staff have been working in Gaza’s hospitals and clinics throughout the current conflict. Our teams provide a range of essential medical services including: 

• Surgical care 
• Wound and burn care 
• Post-partum care 
• Physiotherapy  
• Mental health support 
• Vaccination  
• Outpatient consultations  

Many of the hospitals MSF supports throughout Gaza have been hit or subjected to evacuation orders that put the lives of patients and staff at risk—so our teams are continually adapting to extremely volatile conditions on the ground. Today, MSF mainly operates in southern and central Gaza, including in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Deir Al-Balah. 

Hospitals and clinics we have supported

• Nasser Hospital, European Gaza Hospital, and the Martyrs and Beni Suhaila clinics in Khan Younis 
• Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah  
• Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza  
• Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City  
• Rafah Indonesian Field Hospital and Al-Emirati Maternity Hospital in Rafah

Humanitarian aid and medical supplies 

MSF has delivered about 200 tons of medical supplies each month, including medicines, surgical kits, logistical items, and humanitarian aid. As of mid-March 2024, we have brought in 53 trucks carrying essential supplies. However, it has been extremely difficult to get supplies into Gaza due to administrative barriers, movement restrictions, and the lack of options for crossings. Our teams in Egypt are ready to send more medical supplies into Gaza if allowed to do so safely.

Drinkable water is scarce in Gaza, so water distribution is an important part of MSF’s response. We provide about 300 cubic meters of clean water per day throughout Rafah and are trying to increase this quantity. On March 28, MSF set up a new desalination plant in Al-Mawasi. 

Read more about MSF operations in Gaza >>

The medical needs in Gaza are immense. Many Palestinians need urgent assistance—including people trapped under rubble, pregnant women who are about to deliver, and the elderly—and are not able to access care when they need it most. The core needs MSF is seeing and seeking to address include:   

• The collapse of health care infrastructure due to repeated attacks and lack of supplies has made medical care increasingly inaccessible as the overwhelming needs continue to grow. Less than a third of the 36 main hospitals remain partially functional, with severe limitations on the types of services they can deliver. At the same time, there are over 77,000 wounded people, including thousands who require complex and sustained medical care that is not available in Gaza.
• War wounds, crush injuries, and burns treatment remain an urgent need as Israeli bombardment and attacks continue. But with very little capacity inside hospitals and a dire lack of medical supplies, people aren’t getting the care they need to heal properly or even survive.    
• Infections resulting from poorly treated wounds are a growing concern, driven by the difficulty wounded people face accessing care and follow-up, shortages of supplies, and lack of access to hygiene. 
• Rates of infectious diseases including diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, skin infections, and hepatitis are on the rise.    
• Food and water shortages are worsening due to the lack of basic supplies, including food, being allowed into the Strip. 

Since October 7, increasing settler violence against Palestinians and movement restrictions have exacerbated the health impacts of life under occupation, particularly on mental health and access to care.

MSF has responded by expanding efforts to reach communities unable to access care, bolstering local emergency response, and addressing the needs of Gazans who have been stranded in the West Bank after losing their work permits in Israel after October 7. Our activities include:

• Supporting four primary health centers and running 10 mobile clinics in the Hebron area, including the Old City, and remote villages in the southern West Bank such as Masafer Yatta. 
• Donations to hospitals and first-aid kits for community focal points in Beit Omar and Al Rshaydeh, and the emergency care center in Um El Khair.
• Providing relief items, hygiene kits, and food parcels to displaced Gazans and West Bank residents affected by violence and displacement. In the past four months, MSF distributed 44 family food parcels to displaced people, filling the gap while they register for long-term assistance. We also deliver portable toilets and pipe installations to support displaced people. 
• Increasing capacity at hospitals including Halhoul, Thabet Thabet, Moktaseb, Jenin, and Khalil Suleiman.
• Training medical staff at Al Moktaseb, Halhoul, Dura, and Yatta hospitals in the Hebron area.
• Providing mental health care.
• Expanding health promotion activities. 

MSF does not currently run medical programs in Israel but offered its support to Israeli hospitals treating large numbers of casualties following the Hamas attacks on October 7. We focus on filling the greatest gaps in health care, and Israel has strong emergency and health systems. 

MSF provides medical care to anyone who needs it, regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation. As an organization, we focus on filling the greatest gaps in health care.  

To facilitate our humanitarian and medical work, we speak to all parties to the conflict to request safe, rapid, and unimpeded access to civilians who require medical care and to ensure the safety and security of our staff. Our independence and impartiality are essential to our work in all the places we operate across the globe. We also believe that the principles of impartiality and neutrality are not synonymous with silence. When the world turns its back on crises, we are duty-bound to raise our voices and speak out on behalf of our patients. Our decision to do so is always guided by our mission to do no harm, preserve respect and dignity, and protect life and health.   

Read more frequently asked questions about our work in Gaza >>