Dear Paul Bennett (CEO), Rick Russell (COO) and James Davies (Director for England),
Israel’s right to self-defence does not justify this appalling suffering and humanitarian crisis. It is evidently clear that Israel is violating International Humanitarian Law.
At the time of writing, the Gazan healthcare system is on the verge of total collapse, with hospitals increasingly under attack and with the risk of serious infectious disease imminent.As healthcare professionals of all faiths and backgrounds, we feel the need to express to you in the very strongest terms the extent of our concern. The gravity of the situation – both for healthcare professionals and the general public across Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories – cannot be overstated.
On 26th October 2023, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly called for “continuous, sufficient and unhinderedprovision of lifesaving supplies and services” for trapped civilians in Gaza. Prior to this, multiple statements declaring Israel’s siege of Gaza, unfeasible evacuation orders, and forcible population transfers, were violations of “international humanitarian and criminal law” and “unspeakably cruel”. It was additionally stated that that “there is an ongoing campaign by Israel resulting in crimes against humanity in Gaza” and a “risk of genocide against the Palestinian People”.
We welcomed the statement issued by the RPS on 19th October 2023 which echoed that of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) calling for respect towards the neutrality of healthcare workers and ensuring healthcare facilities are protected in Gaza. The statement expressed the importance of “unrestricted access to medical supplies so that both the lives of healthcare workers who dedicate themselves to saving lives and civilians who are in need, are safeguarded.”
To our dismay, these calls – which reflect those made by various members of the international community and leading NGOs – have gone unheeded. Several weeks have passed and the situation in Gaza has now escalated to what Craig Mokhiber, the outgoing Director of the New York office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called a “textbook case of genocide”.
We strongly urge the RPS and GPhC, as the main representative bodies of pharmaceutical professionals in the United Kingdom, to write to the Prime Minister. In doing so, the UK government should bring to bear its authority demand:
1. An immediate and lasting ceasefire
2. The free movement of aid and aid workers
3. Conditions by which civilians may receive food and medical supplies
4. That healthcare workers be no longer targeted, and that no hospital be made to shut down, as a result of Israeli military hostility
Since the 9th October, Israeli authorities have imposed a total siege on Gaza, completely halting the entry of food, fuel, electricity, medical items, and water. The pre-October situation, already dire, and by which Gaza was not receiving sufficient aid, has been exacerbated to the point of grave emergency. This has been intensified by the fatal damage sustained by hospitals, ambulances, and at least 60% of all clinics, due to the relentless military bombardment and repeated evacuation orders. According to the UN, humanitarians in Gaza report that more than 400,000 people have been impacted and tens of thousands of children have been killed.
William Schomburg, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Gaza, today said: “The destruction affecting hospitals in Gaza is becoming unbearable and needs to stop. The lives of thousands of civilians, patients and medical staff are at risk.”
As a result:
• Injured civilians have had to undergo surgery without pain medication, anaesthesia, and outside operating theatres
• Hospitals have limited fuel left for backup generators and on 6 November the solar panels over Al Shifa hospital were bombed, compounding the issue
• Intensive care units are unable to operate – causing ventilators, incubators and other life sustaining equipment to fail and lead to further deaths
• Sanitation items are depleted, grossly increasing the risk of serious infection
• There is no longer access to safe drinking water – with some civilians resorting to drinking sea water
• Food is scarce, with United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) noting a “worrying sign of civil order starting to break down” due to extreme hunger and desperation
• A serious detrimental deterioration of civilian mental health due to bombardment, displacement, and unavailability of mental health support services
• In a detailed account by registered charity ‘Medical Aid for Palestinians’ a lack of post-operative care has led to white fly infested wounds, with patients scratching at opening wounds
• UNRWA, the largest humanitarian provider in the enclave, has also warned that unless fuel is allowed in, it will be forced to halt all operations
• Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International have verified use of white phosphorus over Gaza by Israeli armed forces, reportedly targeting Al-Durrah Children’s Hospital. White phosphorus causes excruciating burns, as well as toxic accumulation in the body with lifelong effects. HRW has verified reports from doctors on the ground in Gaza of increasing numbers of injuries, characteristic of phosphorus burns
• 13 hospitals have ceased to function as thousands ofpatients are forced to evacuate. Healthcare workers now face a moral dilemma, having to decide between aiding the evacuation and staying with patients too unwell to leave
• The number of children reported killed in Gaza in just three weeks has surpassed the annual number of children killed across the world's conflict zones since 2019, Save the Children said
• Just today alone, at least three Palestinian hospitals have been bombed, taking a further 22 lives
Healthcare facilities are protected under internationally recognised humanitarian law. As we write this letter, more than 10,000 civilians have been killed, and thousands are still trapped under rubble, and over 120,000 have been displaced. We are painfully aware that every hour there is delay, the numbers increase precipitously.
The events above constitute “collective punishment” which remains prohibited under international law, however we are yet to see any action.
To you, our leadership, we say this. This is not a political matter, nor a question of history or international relationships. This is perhaps the worst humanitarian crisis we will know in our lifetime, unfolding before our eyes.
As healthcare professionals, we cannot comprehend the conditions in which our fellow colleagues in Gaza continue to work. They plead for an end to these atrocities. They seek a ceasefire.
We note the British Medical Association (BMA) has issued a statement in support of an immediate ceasefire, and we look to the RPS to follow suit. No matter our political or ideological affiliations, we cannot stand idly by whilst ethnic cleansing and genocidal conditions – including the targeting of hospitals, civilians and children en masse – occurs.
References:
Please be assured this letter has been reviewed and approved by qualified lawyers.
