Hospitals in the north of Gaza are besieged and under attack. Many have fled these supposedly safe spaces in fear for their lives, but thousands of staff, patients and displaced people remain trapped inside. With media having been forced out and communications limited, we are terrified about what comes next for civilians in the north of Gaza. 

In 1984, a group of doctors and humanitarians, horrified by the massacre of Palestinian civilians they had witnessed in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon, grouped together to form Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). For them, medical relief wasn’t just about saving lives, but was a tangible act of solidarity with a people who had suffered so much for so long.

On Saturday 7 October, Hamas and Palestinian armed groups fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, and militants crossed the perimeter fence to launch attacks in cities and towns surrounding Gaza. In response, Israel has launched an extensive aerial bombardment across all areas of Gaza.

Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)’s first convoy of aid trucks carrying essential medicines and supplies has now entered Gaza via the southern Rafah crossing. This urgently needed aid, including medicines and disposables for operating theatres and the treatment of traumatic injuries, will be delivered to four hospitals in southern and central Gaza: Nasser Hospital and European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis, Shuhada al Aqsa Hospital in the Middle Area, and Abu Yousef Al Najjar Hospital in Rafah.

After five months of escalating violence in Gaza, we take stock of the situation and hear the heart-rending account of Jean-Pierre Delomier, HI's Deputy Director of International Operations, who recently returned from Rafah.

As violence rages in Gaza, the number of injured people is soaring. Many are at risk of permanent disability.

Since October 7 and the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas, some 29.000 Palestinians have been killed and 69.000 injured in the continuous bombing of Gaza by Israeli forces. This deadly offensive comes in the wake of a massive attack launched on Israel by Hamas, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 240 Israelis and foreign nationals were taken hostage.

A joint statement co-signed by HI and coordinated by Action Aid.

We, the undersigned organisations, are appalled over the mass forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza resulting from Israel's devastating military assault. Almost 2 million Palestinians have been forcibly displaced within Gaza, with reports indicating Israeli plans for mass displacement outside of Gaza itself. This humanitarian catastrophe must be addressed urgently within the framework of international law and human rights principles.

HI's office located in Rimal neighbourhood in Gaza City, has been destroyed in a bombing strike on 31 January 2024.

The building is completely destroyed. No HI staff were present, but we do not have information about potential other victims in the surrounding areas. No alert or warning was given to HI, even though the coordinates of the building were duly communicated to the notification system put in place by the United Nations and Israeli forces to avoid the inadvertent targeting of humanitarian premises.

Joint statement by several NGOs, including HI, on UNRWA in the context of the war between Israel and Hamas.

As aid organisations, we are deeply concerned and outraged that some of the largest donors have united to suspend funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the main aid provider for millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the region. This comes amid a rapidly worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

HI and partners have provided aid to more than 3,500 people since October 7 in Gaza.

Since October 7 and the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas, at least 23,357 Palestinians were killed and about 59,410 reportedly injured in Gaza by continuous bombing by Israeli forces. This devastating toll comes after a massive attack launched by Hamas on October 7, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking hostage 240 Israelis and foreign nationals.