6/4 Statement on Gaza aid distribution by Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
“The world is watching, day after day, horrifying scenes of Palestinians being shot, wounded or killed in Gaza while simply trying to eat… Yesterday alone, dozens were declared dead at hospitals after Israeli forces said they had opened fire…
“This is the outcome of a series of deliberate choices that have systematically deprived 2 million people of the essentials they need to survive.  These are not isolated incidents, and the perpetrators must be held accountable… 
“Open the crossings – all of them. Let in lifesaving aid at scale, from all directions. Lift the restrictions on what and how much aid we can bring in. Ensure our convoys aren’t held up by delays and denials. Release the hostages. Implement the ceasefire.

The Lancet published UNRWA’s detailed assessment of the current health status of the population of Gaza. Summarizing their findings, the authors report that “19 months of unrelenting violence and repeated displacement has led to destruction of the entire civilian and health infrastructure of Gaza, resulting in catastrophic food shortages, and dire water, sanitation, and hygiene, shelter, and other living conditions.

A letter published in The Lancet discusses how the use of starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza constitutes a violation of international law under the Geneva Conventions. The authors call for immediate international action including unfettered humanitarian access across Gaza, the restoration of public services, guaranteed safe and sustained delivery of food and other aid, and the enforcement of accountability for violations of international law.

In the heart of the Gaza Strip lie vast expanses where no signs of life remain — cities, villages, and refugee camps have all been completely erased. Governmental, service, economic, and medical facilities have vanished without a trace, and hundreds of kilometers of agricultural land have been bulldozed.

Statement on Gaza by Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, 1 May 2025

“Two months ago, the Israeli authorities took a deliberate decision to block all aid to Gaza, and halt our efforts to save survivors of their military offensive… But international law is unequivocal: As the occupying power, Israel must allow humanitarian support in… Blocking aid starves civilians. It leaves them without basic medical support.

4/19, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Jonathan Whittall, marked 50 days of total blockade: people in Gaza are being starved, bombed, strangled and “deprived of the basic necessities for human survival,” calling it “deprivation by design” and the “deliberate dismantling of Palestinian life.” He called for lifting the blockade, entry of humanitarian aid, and ceasefire.

Israel’s siege of Gaza continues; no food or supplies have entered for 7 weeks (since 3/2/25). Malnutrition is the norm, starvation is imminent. Escalated air, land, and sea bombardment and expanded ground operations have increased the toll of genocide. Over 401,000 people have been displaced with no safe place to go. Israel has declared 69% of the Gaza Strip “off-limits” to Palestinians.

For over a month, no commercial or humanitarian supplies have entered Gaza. More than 2.1 million people are trapped, bombed and starved again, while, at crossing points, food, medicine, fuel and shelter supplies are piling up, and vital equipment is stuck. Over 1,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured in just the first week after the breakdown of the ceasefire, the highest one-week death toll among children in Gaza in the past year…The partially functional health system is overwhelmed.

The Israeli execution of 15 EMTs/ first responders in Rafah should be enough to convince anyone of Israel’s commitment to genocide. Share this article here with 5 friends or relatives who are not yet active in the movement to end the genocide.

A new study by the Institute for the Understanding of Anti-Palestinian Racism (IUAPR) documents systemic anti-Palestinian racism against US healthcare providers. Anti-Palestinian racism is pervasive and nationwide, affecting Americans regardless of ethnicity, faith and age. IUAPR has shared its latest findings with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, urging global action

On 3/18/2025, Israel resumed heavy bombing of Gaza, killing more than 400 Palestinians. By 3/19, Israeli ground forces retook the Netzarim corridor, essentially cutting Gaza in half and blocking all north-south passage. Netanyahu has promised "this is only the beginning." Demand that the United States stop funding this genocidal war now!

A report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory claimed Israel carried out "genocidal acts" against Palestinians by systematically destroying women's healthcare facilities in Gaza, and used sexual violence as a war strategy through forced public stripping and sexual assault.

Senator Bernie Sanders recently introduced a second Joint Resolution of Disapproval urging that Congress block the $8.56 billion sale of offensive weapons to Israel. Please tell your legislators that these weapons transfers are contrary to healthcare workers’ professional and moral values. Providing these weapons to a country using them against civilians also violates US and international law. Tell Congress: Block $8.5 bn in weapons to Israel. Click here

The World Bank, EU, and UN issued the Gaza and West Bank Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (IRDNA), analyzing damages and losses, and recovery and reconstruction needs. Gaza will require US$53 billion over the next decade. Housing accounts for 53% of the total, commerce and industry 20%, transport 8%, and WASH 5%.

The Israeli assault on Gaza has caused 2.3 million people extreme hunger, displacement, infectious diseases, and massive amounts of physical and mental stress and trauma. Women, children, and the disabled have been disproportionately affected. What is the responsibility of healthcare workers in the face of a horrifying live-streamed genocide? The ongoing silence of the medical profession challenges the ethics of the healing professions.

“Trump’s Plan for ‘Cleaning Out’ Gaza Didn’t Emerge in a Vacuum-it is the natural culmination of his predecessor’s policies—as well as years of dehumanization of Palestinians in U.S. political discourse.”

“Access to health care in the occupied West Bank has been severely hindered by a widespread network of Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks, which impede the movement of ambulances and emergency medical teams, according to a report published by Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The situation is reportedly worsened by violent military raids that use disproportionate tactics, making it increasingly difficult for healthcare providers to reach those in need.”

The Lancet estimates life expectancy in the Gaza Strip has been cut in half (-46.3%), dropping from a pre-war average of 75.5 years to 40.5 years.

Highlights of statement by Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator: “The children of Gaza are not collateral damage. They are as deserving as children everywhere of security, education and hope. They tell us that the world was not there for them throughout this war. We must be there for them now.”

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher welcomed the [ceasefire] agreement, urged that it be upheld, stated that humanitarian agencies are prepared to deliver aid, urged countries to provide the desperately needed support and UN bodies to ensure its safe and unimpeded delivery, and noted: “We call for accountability for the atrocities committed… This is a moment of hope and opportunity, but we should be under no illusions how tough it will still be to get support to survivors. The stakes could not be higher.”