oPt: Position Paper: Destruction of Conditions of Life: A Health Analysis of the Gaza Genocide

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Country: occupied Palestinian territory Source: Physicians for Human Rights Israel Please refer to the attached file. Genocide in GazaThis report documents the Israeli assault for what it is: a deliberate, cumulative, and ongoing dismantling of Gaza’s healthcare system - and of the population’s ability to survive. Its meaning: genocide.On October 13, 2023, the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of 22 hospitals in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip. That day marked the start of an unprecedented assault on Gaza’s health system. Over the past 22 months, Israel has systematically targeted medical infrastructure across the Gaza Strip, attacking 33 of 36 of Gaza’s hospitals and clinics depriving them of fuel and water. More than 1800 of Gaza’s medical staff have been killed or detained.Today, PHRI is releasing a position paper that documents this assault for what it is: a deliberate, cumulative dismantling of Gaza’s health system, and with it, its people’s ability to survive. This amounts to genocide. Israel’s bombing of hospitals, destruction of medical equipment, and depletion of medications have made medical care – both immediate and long-term – virtually impossible. The system has collapsed under the weight of relentless attacks and blockade.The Full ReportEach day, dozens die of malnutrition. Ninety-two percent of infants aged six months to two years don’t get enough to eat. At least 85 children have already starved to death. Israel has displaced 9 in 10 Gazans, destroyed or damaged 92% of homes, and left over half a million children without schools or stability. It has wiped out essential health services – including dialysis, maternal care, cancer treatment, and diabetes management.This is not a temporary crisis. It is a strategy to eliminate the conditions needed for life. Even if Israel stops the offensive today, the destruction it has inflicted guarantees that preventable deaths – from starvation, infection, and chronic illness – will continue for years. This is not collateral damage. This is not a side effect of war. It is the systematic creation of unlivable conditions. It is the denial of survivability. It is a genocide.Governments and international bodies must act now:• Compel Israel to cease its fire.• Protect and restore Gaza’s health systems.• Re-instate UN, international, and Palestinian mechanisms of support.• Allow the free movement of aid.• Ensure the safety of healthcare workers.These actions are critical – and must be taken immediately – to prevent further loss of life. The health system’s minimal capacity today depends entirely on the efforts of Gaza’s medical professionals, to whom this report is dedicated.