Doctors Without Borders call for safe passages to flee Gaza
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has called for safe passages for civilians and hospital staff to use to flee from the Gaza Strip.
Thousands of Palestinians fled on Friday and Saturday to southern Gaza, seeking refuge after Israel warned them to evacuate before an expected offensive against Hamas in retaliation for the deadliest attack in Israel's history.
More than two million people are currently trapped in the Gaza Strip, where indiscriminate bombing has turned a chronic humanitarian crisis into a catastrophe, according to MSF.
More than 300 MSF‘s staff members are in Gaza, some of whom have lost homes or family members, and they say it has been near-impossible for them to move.
MSF Head of Mission in Gaza Matthias Kennes has called for a ceasefire.
"The fighter jets are demolishing entire streets block by block. There is no place to hide, no time to rest. Some places are being bombed on consecutive nights,” says Kennes.
"Each time our medical colleagues go to work, not knowing if they will see their homes or their families again. But they say this is different. This time, after five days, there have already been 1,200 deaths. What can people do? Where are they supposed to go?” he asks.
"Those caught up in this cycle of violence must be protected, regardless of identity; safe spaces or passage must be established; indiscriminate attacks and bombings must cease; health structures must be respected and protected.”
"We are trying to support the health system in Gaza, but to do so, we will need to be able to bring in emergency teams and get out teams that are less suited to this context of war,” Kennes adds.
“We're seeing shortages of essential medical supplies in hospitals, and our emergency stocks on the ground are limited and will run out quickly if we can't bring in medical equipment and medicines."
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