The Palestinian Medical Relief Society is calling on the entire international community, those directly involved and those who are not, to speak up on behalf of Palestinians, especially those in Gaza who, as we write, are victims of war crimes. PMRS requests this community to not be distracted by the western media maelstrom caused by blatant Israeli propaganda designed to dehumanize Palestinians and to remain focused on the issue of human rights. Since the 7th of October, we have collectively witnessed genocide in action and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza.

This very morning, after 1.1 million Gazans were given the ultimatum to leave northern Gaza, those attempting to flee, were bombed. Gazans for the last 16 years have been in an open-air prison, and we fear as we receive updates that this area has now become an execution camp.

We are horrified to report that in the last 7 days, Israel has bombed Gaza with 5000 times of explosion. That is more than the US bombed Afghanistan in 1 year. We are distressed to report that it has been confirmed they are using white phosphorus on a population that is majority women and children. We are disturbed by the fact that we need to report, since the onset of the slaughter of people in Gaza, Israel has cut off food, water, electricity, and any humanitarian aid meant for the people of Gaza.The head of Al Shifa hospital has reported that if they do not receive power soon, the hospital will become a mass grave. We are concerned that there are no international journalists on the ground and our journalists and those using social media to document will soon run out of battery to document what are clearly war crimes.

We are disappointed to have to remind the international community that these atrocities are occurring against the backdrop of 75 years of war crimes and international law violations. We are dismayed that despite the obvious imbalance of power and devastation caused against the Palestinians we instead of being allowed to grieve and mourn, are forced to instead be in a position of having to prove our equal standing as humans, of having to prove we have the right to live, of having to educate the world of on our suffering, which in the last 7 days has reached a collective pinnacle.

In 7 days:

• 2217 deaths
• 650 babies and children killed
• 8700 injured
• 1.1 Million internally displaced people
• Most of the 2.3 million people don’t have access to clean drinking water
• No fuel
• Power has been cut severely impacted medical, sanitation and food preservation
• 65,607 buildings mostly residential including hospitals, clinics, universities, and kindergartens have been destroyed or severely damaged
• 42 WHO documented attacks on healthcare
• The 13 hospitals across the Gaza Strip are only partially functional, many are at full capacity

We need the international community to use their voices to in the first instance end the criminal brutality and demand a ceasefire. We need the international community to ensure safe passage of humanitarian aid into Gaza. We need the international community to stand against the documented crimes against humanity and to call an end of the apartheid and persecution. There no longer exists an excuse for the world to claim they didn’t know or understand what is happening in Gaza is a crime.