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Save Emirates, Kuwaiti And European Hospitals In Gaza
AHW4P unequivocally condemns the Israeli invasion of Rafah and the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. We reiterate our calls for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the occupation.
“We are horrified by the discovery of seven mass graves around Al Shifa, Nasser and Kamal Adwan Hospitals”, says AHW4P Chairperson Dr Ruba Harfeil. “The hundreds of buried bodies included patients with medical devices in situ, medics in scrubs and children with their hands tied behind their backs.”
Evidence that some may have been buried alive has led UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to call for an independent investigation.
“We demand the NZ government call for an immediate independent investigation into these probable war crimes, along with unfettered journalistic access”, says Dr Harfeil.
“We also pay tribute to three of our colleagues killed in the last month.”
Dr Adnan Al-Bursh, who was known for his skill and kindness, was the head of the Orthopaedic department at Al Shifa Hospital. He was kidnapped by Israeli Occupation Forces in December and allegedly tortured to death while in custody. Israeli authorities have still not released his body to his family.
This week, Dr Muhammad Quzzat, co-founder of Gaza's Paediatric Surgery teaching program and his son, Dr Youssef Quzzat, an orthodontist were both killed in Israeli airstrikes.
"We stand in solidarity with all our colleagues in Gaza and we honour your steadfastness in the face of unimaginable scenes of horror and suffering", Dr Harfeil says.
The IOF has ordered the evacuation of the Kuwaiti and Emirates Hospitals. Yet according to MSF Doctors Without Borders, which operates in Gaza, there is nowhere safe for people to go. More than one million people have been displaced to Rafah, half of whom are children. Rafah’s European Hospital is the last fully functioning hospital in Gaza.
“The international community must impose sanctions on Israel now to prevent further carnage and loss of life”, says Dr Harfeil.
“We once again call on all medical institutions in Aotearoa NZ to condemn the murder of healthcare workers and patients. If these institutions claim to uphold medical ethics, they must stand against these violations of international and humanitarian law.”
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