President, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International
MSF International President: “No One Is Safe in Gaza... World Leaders Are Complicit”
29 July 2026 – Statement of Facts
Dr. Javid Abdelmoneim
President, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International
World leaders are complicit by allowing Israel to continue its genocidal campaign and must adopt a drastic shift in international policy
The policies implemented in Gaza, together with developments in the West Bank, point to a broader Israeli project of colonizing Palestine through occupation
More than 1,000 days have passed since the genocide in Gaza began, and the collective punishment of Palestinians continues unabated
Under the so-called ceasefire, the world has become accustomed to watching Palestinians being killed and maimed every day in their tents, hospitals, and on the streets.
The term “ceasefire” has lost all meaning.
The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza represents one of the greatest political failures of the world in recent decades.
June 2026 was the deadliest month since October 2025. As of 14 July 2026, Israel had killed 1,110 Palestinians and injured 3,599 others since the start of the ceasefire while expanding its military control over the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s so-called “yellow line” is an expanding boundary that divides Gaza into Palestinian- and Israeli-controlled areas, placing anyone who approaches it—even to reach shelter, collect firewood, or search for food—at risk of being shot
More than two million people are being confined to just one-third of the Gaza Strip, creating catastrophic overcrowding, the spread of disease, and severe shortages of basic necessities
MSF clinics are witnessing increasing cases of respiratory infections, skin diseases, and diarrheal illnesses caused by the lack of clean water, inadequate sanitation, and inhumane living conditions
Since 7 October 2023, the West Bank has undergone a profound transformation marked by ethnic cleansing, land confiscation, territorial fragmentation, and economic strangulation
“Palestinians are being hunted in their homes, schools and on their land, while the attackers enjoy complete impunity
In Nablus and Hebron, MSF continues to treat patients suffering from trauma and depression resulting from escalating violence and movement restrictions
Israel has systematically obstructed access to healthcare in the West Bank while deliberately dismantling the healthcare system in Gaza
Healthcare workers, patients, ambulances, and hospitals have all been targeted
During the raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital on 26 October 2024, MSF surgeon Dr. Mohammed Obeid was arrested along with 57 others. He remains detained without charge and is one of more than 95 Palestinian healthcare workers still held by Israeli authorities
MSF continues to call for Dr. Obeid’s immediate and unconditional release
The genocide has devastated Gaza’s healthcare workforce, and rebuilding it will take many years
Since October 2023, at least 1,700 healthcare workers have been killed, including 15 MSF staff members, many of whom had devoted decades to serving their communities
No one is safe in Gaza
Access to healthcare has become even more restricted after Israeli authorities deregistered 37 humanitarian organizations in January
Israel continues to block the entry of international humanitarian personnel and essential medical and relief supplies into Gaza and the West Bank
Although some humanitarian aid has entered Gaza, it remains grossly insufficient, and these arbitrary restrictions form part of a long-standing punitive policy
Whether through direct violence, dismantling the healthcare system, obstructing humanitarian assistance, inducing famine, weaponizing water, increasing premature births and infant mortality, causing high rates of miscarriage, or denying medical care, the foremost health issue in Palestine is Israel’s occupation
Israel’s methods have become normalized, and world leaders have accepted its conduct
Through political support, military assistance, or silence, they have enabled the continuation of these policies
The situation is no longer merely intolerable—it has become entrenched
In Gaza, the genocide continues; in the West Bank, ethnic cleansing is accelerating
A fundamental shift in international policy is urgently needed—one that places the dignity of Palestinians first, protects civilians, guarantees unimpeded humanitarian access, and ensures accountability for all governments
Without such a shift, the next 1,000 days will not mark a turning point, but rather the continuation of the same devastating reality
End