While Israel has been carrying out a major offensive on the West Bank since the night of 27 to 28 August, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has denounced the operations, which have had a particular impact on local health infrastructures and the siege of certain health establishments. The NGO Mehad strongly condemns these acts, which contravene international humanitarian law and deprive thousands and thousands of civilians of access to healthcare.
“Since last night […] Israeli forces have been carrying out an aggressive attack on Tulkarm, Jenin, Nablus, Tubas and the refugee camps in these districts”, said the Palestinian Ministry of Health in a statement dated 28 August 2024. ” Israeli forces are laying siege to hospitals. They are preventing ambulances and medical staff from carrying out their duty of evacuating the wounded and transferring patients. They are destroying the roads leading to hospitals, making it difficult for patients and medical teams to access treatment facilities “.
The international health and solidarity NGO Mehad, which recently carried out two missions to the West Bank to provide emergency ultrasound training to local health workers, particularly in the districts affected by these recent attacks, and which plans to expand its missions in this area in the near future, strongly condemns these actions of encircling health facilities and the attacks and obstructions to the movement of the wounded, which contravene international humanitarian law.
“The situation is critical. It is unacceptable not to respect the right to health and to obstruct access to healthcare for civilians”, emphasises Mego Terzian, Mehad’s CEO.
The NGO is currently pursuing its efforts, particularly in terms of fund-raising, to develop its health initiatives in the area, in partnership with the local authorities and public and private partners.
