“We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in Gaza.”
Israel’s expansion of its genocidal assault on the Gaza Strip via land, air and sea has turned the enclave into a “mass grave,” Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned on Wednesday.
“Gaza has been turned into a mass grave of Palestinians and those coming to their assistance,” Amande Bazerolle, MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza, said in a statement.
“The Gaza Strip has become a mass grave for Palestinians.” – Doctors Without Borders.
Meanwhile, over 110,000 Israelis are calling for the war to end.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 16, 2025
“We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in Gaza,” Bazerolle added.
The statement stressed that with Israel forcibly displacing people and deliberately blocking essential aid, “Palestinian lives are once again being systematically destroyed.”
Lift ‘Deadly Siege’
The humanitarian organization called on Israeli authorities to immediately lift “the inhumane and deadly siege on Gaza” and protect the lives of Palestinians, humanitarian and medical personnel, as well as for all parties to restore and sustain the ceasefire.
“With nowhere safe for Palestinians or those trying to help them, the humanitarian response is severely struggling under the weight of insecurity and critical supply shortages, leaving people with few, if any, options for accessing care,” Bazerolle emphasized.
Gaza has become a “mass grave” for Palestinians and those helping them.
Israeli forces are systematically destroying Palestinian life and showing a blatant disregard for the safety of humanitarian and medical workers:https://t.co/aZj5YcgudI
— MSF International (@MSF) April 16, 2025
Citing Gaza’s Health Ministry, MSF said over 50,000 people have been killed since October 2023, nearly a third of whom are children.
Since the resumption of Israel’s military onslaught on March 18, “more than 1,500 people have been killed, according to local authorities.”
Over 400 Aid Workers Killed
The organization also highlighted that, according to the United Nations, at least 409 aid workers, most of whom were UNWRA staff, the main provider of humanitarian aid in Gaza, have been killed since October 2023.
“Eleven MSF colleagues, some while on duty, have been killed since the start of the war, including two in just the past two weeks,” it noted.
MSF cited a March attack by Israeli occupation forces on a convoy of aid workers, despite their vehicles being “clearly marked and identifiable.” The bodies of 15 emergency responders were found in a mass grave on March 30 in Rafah, southern Gaza.
“This horrific killing of aid workers is yet another example of the complete disregard shown by Israeli forces for the protection of humanitarian and medical workers. The silence and unconditional support of Israel’s closest allies further emboldens these actions,” Claire Magone, General Director of MSF France, said.
Call for Independent Probe
The organization stressed that “only international and independent investigations can bring to light the circumstances of, and the responsibilities for, these attacks on aid workers.”
MSF also pointed out that medical facilities “are not exempt from attacks and evacuation orders by Israeli forces.”
Medical Facilities Affected
MSF’s teams have had to leave many facilities, while others continue operating with staff and patients trapped inside, unable to leave safely for hours at a time, the statement noted.
Since March 18, MSF has not been able to return to Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza where our teams were set to begin paediatric care but had to flee the field hospital, which was set up right next to the compound.
At the same time, its mobile clinics in north Gaza were suspended, and in the south, teams have been unable to return to Al-Shaboura clinic in Rafah, the statement said.
It said the lack of fuel replenishment across the Strip “will lead to the inevitable suspension” of activities as hospitals rely on generators for electricity to keep critical patients alive and conduct lifesaving operations.
Aid ‘Deliberately Blocked’
Israeli authorities “have deliberately blocked” all aid from entering Gaza for over a month, Bazerolle stated.
“Humanitarians have been forced to watch people suffer and die while carrying the impossible burden of providing relief with depleted supplies, all while facing the same life-threatening conditions themselves,” she added.
Israel is engineering famine in #Gaza. By blocking food, water, and aid, it is deliberately creating conditions where children starve, hospitals shut down, and entire communities face death. This is not collateral damage, it’s a calculated genocide. pic.twitter.com/kTMc4Hom4l
— Euro-Med Monitor (@EuroMedHR) April 8, 2025
“There is no way they can carry out their mission under such circumstances. This is not a humanitarian failure — it is a political choice, and a deliberate assault on a people’s ability to survive, carried out with impunity,” Bazerolle emphasized.
The organization called on Israeli authorities to “end their collective punishment of Palestinians.”
“We urge Israel’s allies to end their complicity and stop enabling the destruction of Palestinian lives,” it said.
Staggering Death Toll
The renewed Israeli violence on March 18 broke a ceasefire that began on January 19. The latest Israeli military actions have killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians, mostly civilians.
While numerous countries and human rights groups have condemned the violations, the US has continued its support for Israel, asserting that the military campaign was carried out with prior knowledge and approval from Washington.
Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left Gaza in ruins. Additionally, over 116,000 have been wounded, while 14,000 remain missing.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the besieged enclave.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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