Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has unveiled an alarming report detailing the destruction of Gaza, highlighting a year-long campaign of violence and systematic devastation. The report, titled “Gaza: Life in a Death Trap,” accuses Israel of forcibly displacing nearly 90% of Gaza’s population, destroying its health care system, and denying humanitarian aid, leaving 2.2 million Palestinians in dire conditions.
The past 14 months have been marked by relentless military offensives, such as the recent scorched-earth campaign in northern Gaza. Areas like Jabalia have been decimated, with an estimated 2,000 casualties and severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. Daily humanitarian aid trucks have plummeted from 500 to 37, rendering even basic survival untenable.
According to Christopher Lockyear, MSF’s secretary general, Gaza is a “death trap” where civilians face indiscriminate attacks and forced displacement. MSF staff have endured 41 attacks in the past year, including airstrikes and direct violence near medical facilities, exacerbating the already crumbling health care system.
Children are missing vaccinations, diseases are spreading in unhygienic conditions, and malnutrition is rising. Israeli restrictions on medical evacuations have further worsened the crisis, with less than 2% of patients in need allowed to leave Gaza for treatment between May and September 2024.
Despite international outcry and a January 2024 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling ordering Israel to allow humanitarian aid, no significant action has been taken. The MSF report calls on Israel’s allies to act urgently to protect Palestinian lives and ensure unimpeded access to aid.
The cumulative effects of the violence, displacement, and deprivation will leave a legacy of physical and psychological scars on future generations. MSF has reiterated its plea for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access, warning of the devastating long-term impacts on Gaza’s population.
