Following the UN General Assembly, Further Escalation of Violence Forces MSF to Withdraw from Gaza

Continuous attacks and Israeli evacuation orders cause hospital collapse and the withdrawal of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), worsening the humanitarian crisis.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is entering its third year with a devastating toll: over 66,000 Palestinians killed by the Israeli occupation army and more than 168,000 injured since October 2023. Thousands remain trapped under rubble or displaced, as the military offensive intensifies in Gaza City and other areas of the enclave.

At the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to justify the offensive before a nearly empty audience, a sign of his government's growing isolation and international condemnation. The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, proposed creating a global “armed force" to protect the Palestinian people, in response to what he described as an ongoing genocide.

While this unfolded in the West, in Palestinian territory, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is deteriorating dramatically. Bombardments and the advance of tanks are hitting densely populated neighborhoods, where thousands of people who are unable to evacuate still live.

Two days ago, Médecins Sans Frontières (also known as Doctors without Borders) announced the suspension of its activities in Gaza City due to the "unacceptable level of risk" for its staff, following airstrikes and the proximity of tanks within less than a kilometer of its facilities. The hospitals that continue to operate, such as Al Helou and Al Shifa, are working at maximum capacity, with a severe shortage of supplies and fuel.

“Although a large number of people have fled south due to evacuation orders, there are still hundreds of thousands in Gaza City who cannot leave and have no choice but to stay. Those who can leave face an impossible choice: remain in Gaza City under intense military operations and worsening public order, or abandon what remains of their homes, their belongings, and their memories to move to areas where humanitarian conditions are rapidly deteriorating,” MSF warned.

Humanitarian organizations are reiterating their calls for an immediate ceasefire and for guaranteeing safe access to essential aid—water, food, shelter, and medical care—for an exhausted population deprived of the basics for survival.