Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been compelled to suspend its medical operations in Gaza City as Israeli forces escalate their offensive, putting staff and patients in immediate danger.
Airstrikes and advancing tanks have drawn dangerously close to MSF clinics, leaving the organisation with no choice but to halt its lifesaving services.
“We have been left with no choice but to stop our activities, as our clinics are encircled by Israeli forces,” said Jacob Granger, MSF Emergency Coordinator in Gaza.
“This is the last thing we wanted, as the needs in Gaza City are enormous, with the most vulnerable people - infants in neo-natal care, those with severe injuries and life-threatening illnesses - unable to move and in grave danger.”
Although many residents have fled south following evacuation orders, hundreds of thousands remain trapped in Gaza City.
Those who can leave must decide between staying under intense military operations or abandoning their homes, possessions, and memories to move to areas where humanitarian support is rapidly eroding.
Hospitals across Gaza are only partially functional and overwhelmed, struggling with shortages of medical personnel, supplies, and fuel. Patients often reach care late, in critical condition, complicating treatment and survival chances.
Despite these challenges, MSF clinics last week carried out more than 3,640 consultations and treated 1,655 people suffering from malnutrition. They also provided care for severe trauma injuries, burns, pregnant women, and patients with ongoing medical needs, highlighting the scale of urgent health requirements.
While MSF has stopped activities in Gaza City itself, it continues to support critical services at Ministry of Health facilities, including Al-Helou and Al-Shifa hospitals.
Access to clean water, food, shelter, and healthcare is increasingly restricted as civilians face repeated bombardments. “They are exhausted and are being deliberately deprived of the essentials needed to survive,” MSF said.
The organisation has urged an immediate halt to the violence and concrete steps to protect civilians. Israeli authorities are called upon to guarantee safe, uninterrupted access for humanitarian teams and ensure conditions for sustained medical and humanitarian aid, which are currently absent in Gaza City.