Urgent Appeal from Palestine

For the fifth consecutive day, the Israeli military forces continue its invasion to Beit Hanoun north of Gaza Strip. The number of victims has reached 47 of the civil citizens; while more than 200 were injured (half of them are women and children). According to the statistics of the Palestinian Ministry of Health 42 of the injured are children, 40 are women, and 2 from the working medical teams.

The Israeli occupation forces are using its heaviest military tools in it aggression against the Palestinian defenseless civilians. One of the most hideous manifestations on the Israeli Nazism is its incurrence to a females' march, causing the killing of 2 women and the injury of 40 women, in addition to 2 paramedical members were killed and 4 were injured.

In all times, the Israeli military forces hindered the work of the medical crews, and prevented – in many sites - the ambulances from reaching the injured and sick to rescue them. On the other hand, the barbaric Israeli attack has lead to the abruption of the water and electricity in the city, total destruction to the infrastructure, the imprisonment of tens of Palestinians, the destruction of houses, the assault of the religious places, and the curettage of plants. Moreover, a curfew is imposed on the overall area, and the attack is also continuous on Rafah and Jabalia Camp, in addition to Bethlehem and Nablus.

In general, hospitals are subjected to continuous attack. In addition to the invasion of Biet Jala Hospital, and the kidnapping of injured Palestinians, hospitals are suffering from acute shortage in the medical instruments, and patients are unable to access hospitals and medical centers to get the needed health care services, especially for children and pregnant women.

The Health Work Committees appreciates the role of the medical teams and centers, and hospitals in Gaza Strip in general, and in Beit Hanoun in particular, and in the north of the West Bank for their quick response to the emergency and humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. On the other hand, we also appreciate the role of the Red Cross Organization, the World Health Organization, the UNRWA, and many other institutions. The Health Work Committees affirms that the HWC in the north of Gaza Strip, especially in AlAwda Hospital, and the medical center\Jerusalem in Beit Hanoun are working in their full capacity. HWC urges the international organizations to provide AlAwda Hospital that belong to the Health Work Committees and the other health facilities with the needed medical instruments, medications, and consumables to keep their services. The HWC also encourages people to keep donating blood.

The Health Work Committees looks at this escalating and deteriorating situation, because of the Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territories, with a big concern and:

1-Condemns these hideous crimes that reflect the Israeli fecklessness with the Palestinian lives, violating the fourth Geneva convention for the year 1949 (especially article 33). We also demand to consider the Israeli actions in the Palestinian territories collective and retaliatory actions, including the execution policy that the Israelis apply against Palestinians.
2-Demands the international community to move immediately to stop the Israeli crimes, and urge the Semitic parties who agreed on the fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their commitments according to the first article and article 146 to pursue the Israeli forces legally for their crimes and assaults against the Palestinian civilians.
3-Demands the Arab World with all its human rights organizations, cadres, and parties to move immediately to support the armless Palestinian people that face a real threat.

The Health Work Committees warns from the danger of not stopping the Israeli criminal operations in the Palestinian territories, because it is threatening with more victims and chaos and more disastrous and humanitarian health situation, including the spread of epidemics, diseases, and uncontrollable implications.

Health Work Committees
Dr. Ahmad Maslamani
General Director.