I am writing to urgently call for the implementation of sanctions against Israel to force an immediate ceasefire and put an end to the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza. The situation has far surpassed a critical point, with 31 hospitals bombed and 227 ambulances attacked, reflecting a deliberate strategy to target healthcare and ensure the certain death of Palestinians by preventing essential care. This must end.
The European Hospital in Khan Younis has been forced to evacuate in anticipation of an imminent invasion and attack. The NGO INSAAN has reported that medical professionals are being told to evacuate, along with their 400 patients, many of whom are bed-ridden, including children who have had limbs amputated.
With healthcare facilities already decimated, rendering another hospital inoperable will sentence thousands more injured Palestinians to certain death by preventing essential care. The last evacuation order of this kind was for Al-Shifa Hospital, where hundreds were then killed and executed by Israeli forces, followed by the discovery of multiple mass graves in its aftermath. The remains of several hundred Palestinians included the bodies of children, healthcare workers in their scrubs with their hands bound, and patients with catheters still attached. EuroMed’s report confirmed that some bodies were discovered with their heads or limbs severed.
Immediate action is required to protect civilian lives and ensure that essential healthcare facilities remain operational. Sanctions, including an arms embargo, must be enforced against Israel to compel a ceasefire and stop the targeted destruction of healthcare infrastructure. The international community has a moral obligation to act decisively to prevent further atrocities and ensure that Palestinians can receive the medical care they desperately need.
