The ongoing conflict in Gaza, now surpassing 377 days, has escalated into a humanitarian disaster, with staggering casualties and mounting pressure on the international community to intervene. The conflict, largely characterized by Israeli airstrikes and a blockade of essential supplies, has been heavily criticized by aid organizations and medical professionals alike. As of October 15, the Palestinian death toll has reached 42,227, with more than 98,000 injured, the vast majority of whom are women and children.
In a recent meeting with over a dozen aid organizations, Lise Grande, the U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues, stated that the U.S. would not consider withholding military support to Israel, despite ongoing concerns over the blockade of food and medical supplies to the enclave. This stance has fueled accusations that the U.S. is complicit in the crisis, with some calling it the “Godfather” of the ongoing violence.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed alarm over the situation in Gaza, particularly the severe injuries suffered by civilians during airstrikes. “The world has seen the images of patients and displaced persons, sheltering near Al Aqsa hospital, burning alive,” OCHA stated in a report to the Security Council. The report emphasized that patients with life-threatening burns are unable to receive the urgent medical care they need due to blockades and ongoing strikes. “If such horror does not awaken our sense of humanity and propel us to action, what will?” the statement continued.
Save the Children recently reported that as of October 14, up to 400,000 Palestinians are trapped in northern Gaza, with at least 300 people killed in just nine days of bombardment. The humanitarian situation has become even more dire in the south, where a hospital sheltering thousands of displaced families was engulfed in flames following an Israeli airstrike. This latest tragedy has left numerous dead and wounded, further straining the already overwhelmed healthcare system.
In the West Bank, the situation is similarly dire, with over 11,000 Palestinians detained by Israeli forces, including 425 women, 745 children, and 112 media correspondents. Nearly 9,400 of these detentions have been classified as administrative, meaning detainees are held without formal charges.
A group of 99 American medical professionals, who have been volunteering in Gaza since early October, signed an open letter to U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, highlighting the catastrophic conditions on the ground. The letter describes a healthcare system on the brink of collapse, with doctors forced to perform surgeries without anesthesia and mothers feeding their newborns with formula made from contaminated water. “Not once did any of us see any type of Palestinian militant activity in any of Gaza’s hospitals or other healthcare facilities,” the letter noted, countering claims that militants are using civilian areas as cover.
The UN has expressed frustration over Israel’s refusal to cooperate with its Commission of Inquiry,