Even before October 7, 2023, many Palestinians from Gaza suffered from depression and frustration, injuries and amputations suffered in previous wars, as well as unemployment and poverty. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) mental health teams have witnessed these effects on Palestinians both in Gaza and in Amman, Jordan, where our teams are providing care to the few children who have been able to medically evacuate  from Gaza.

More than 95,000 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli attacks since October of last year, of whom 12,000 need urgent medical evacuation, according to the World Health Organization. Only a tiny fraction of injured Palestinians have been allowed to leave the Strip to seek adequate care in other countries, and after a long and murky process. Every evacuation has to be approved by the Israeli authorities, which can take many months and doesn’t appear to be based on clear, transparent criteria.

MSF calls on the Israeli authorities to ensure medical evacuations for Palestinians in need of specialized medical care, including their caregivers, and for other states to receive and facilitate treatment outside of Gaza, while ensuring that all patients and their caregivers are guaranteed a safe, voluntary, and dignified return to Gaza.