Title: Israel attacking hospitals and blocking medical aid in the West Bank, warns MSF

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has released a new report investigating attacks on medical facilities and calling on Israel to cease its "disproportionate violence" in the occupied West Bank. The report, based on data collected between October 2023 and October 2024, reveals a "sharp escalation" in Israeli military incursions into the West Bank since the start of the war. The report emphasizes the urgent need for protection of medical personnel and facilities.

The report's conclusions come from 38 interviews conducted in cities such as Jenin, Qalqilya, Tubas, and Tulkarem, as well as "patterns of obstruction" witnessed by MSF teams. MSF stated in the report that their teams witnessed the aftermath of numerous incursions in which military operations targeted and destroyed critical public infrastructure, including water supply systems and power networks, thereby causing long-term medical and humanitarian consequences for Palestinian communities and hindering access to medical facilities or ambulance passage. These actions have exacerbated the already precarious humanitarian situation.

According to MSF, the escalation of violent tactics began even before Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023, with the Israeli military beginning to use airstrikes to attack civilian areas, a practice the organization says had not been used since the Second Palestinian Intifada in the early 2000s, in addition to the use of military drones. The report also cites findings from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) showing that 34% of injuries in the occupied territories since October 7, 2023, were caused by live ammunition, compared to 9% in the first nine months of 2023. This increase highlights a disturbing trend in the use of force.

MSF stated: "Since October 2023, this increasingly aggressive modus operandi has not only severely impacted the physical and mental health of Palestinians and their access to healthcare, but has also created a pervasive atmosphere of fear and insecurity based on the intensity and unpredictability of violence, profoundly affecting their mental well-being." Furthermore, the report indicates that the rise in settler violence and Israel's illegal expansion in the West Bank have also affected access to healthcare for Palestinians in the region. The cumulative effect of these factors is a significant deterioration in the overall health and safety of the Palestinian population.

The report notes that violence perpetrated by armed settlers—often in the presence and protection of the army—has led to new patterns of medical obstruction, including coordinated attacks on Palestinian communities, direct intimidation of medical personnel, and road closures, thereby creating medical exclusion zones, particularly affecting remote communities and those living near settlements. MSF points out that the Israeli military has failed to prevent such violence and, in some cases, has even facilitated it, as well as further attacks on medical personnel, leaving Palestinians "more vulnerable to brutality than ever before." The lack of accountability for these actions further emboldens the perpetrators.

Access to medical services in the West Bank is further hampered by the escalating attacks targeting "medical infrastructure, ambulances, and medical personnel." The report cites data from the World Health Organization (WHO) showing that a total of 647 attacks on healthcare were recorded in the West Bank between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2024. MSF stated in the report: "Military attacks are characterized by a systematic disruption of the provision of medical services, with the Israeli army frequently besieging hospitals, refugee camps, and villages, thereby creating unprecedented obstacles to accessing medical care." These deliberate disruptions have severe consequences for patients in need of urgent care.

Several individuals interviewed by the organization noted that life-saving services were hindered due to these restrictions, leading to long-term suffering and even death for patients. In one case on December 16, 2023, MSF's project coordinator in Tulkarem noted that during an Israeli incursion into the Nur Shams camp in Tulkarem, some patients died from wounds that could have been saved with treatment because medical personnel and volunteers were directly attacked and obstructed. The coordinator stated: "That day, the MSF-supported stabilization point was attacked and destroyed by the Israeli army on the grounds that 'terrorist activities' were taking place at the site." This incident highlights the dangers faced by medical personnel working in conflict zones.

The coordinator added: "When speaking with the volunteers, I noticed that they had a lot of anger and anxiety. They felt guilty. The videos they showed me depicting their efforts to stabilize patients under heavy shelling were shocking. The fact is, they did their best. These injuries were manageable and would not have been fatal if they had been able to get immediate hospital emergency care." The report shows that MSF teams observed Israeli military deployments around MSF-supported hospital facilities. The presence of military forces near medical facilities creates a climate of fear and intimidation, further hindering access to care.

MSF notes that there have been cases of soldiers entering hospital premises, trapping patients and medical personnel, effectively besieging medical infrastructure and obstructing services. The report adds: "The Israeli army justifies its incursions into hospitals on the grounds of armed personnel or weapons, and when carrying out these operations, it does not provide evacuation orders or notifications to protect civilians, medical personnel, and patients." According to the latest data released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in January, the number of Palestinians killed in the occupied territories since October 7, 2023, has reached 1,004, including 213 children. The ongoing violence and restrictions on access to healthcare are contributing to a worsening humanitarian crisis in the region.