Al-Shifa Hospital is under attack

Dear [xxxxx],

I am writing to you today with utter disgust at Israel’s execution of doctors, nurses, and medical professionals inside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Since the ‘Military Operation’ began just a few days ago, Israel has executed 170 medical professionals, including Dr Mohammed Al-Nuno, who refused to leave the hospital and abandon his sick patients. In the last five days, Israel has also abducted 800 patients from the hospital, adding another alarmingly high number to the hostages taken by Israel since 7th October. Before this date, approximately 5,000 Palestinians were held hostage across Israeli prisons without charges.

Since the Israeli military operation commenced in Gaza, which almost all Holocaust and genocide experts unanimously agree constitutes a genocide campaign, Israel has bombed 285 healthcare facilities. This includes 28 hospitals, 65 clinics, and 192 ambulances. To be clear, each one of these acts constitutes a war crime and is illegal under the Geneva Convention. While Israel is always quick to point to Hamas, thankfully, diligent investigative journalists and organisations around the world have spent months combing through all evidence provided by Israel. As of 23rd March 2024, not a single healthcare facility attacked has shown any evidence of Hamas presence. However, even if there were, this still would not be acceptable under the Geneva Convention.

I am also haunted by the horrific images from Al-Nasr Hospital, where Israel forcibly evacuated the hospital, killed medical staff and patients, and, despite the pleas of doctors, made them leave an entire ward of premature babies. When doctors returned, they found the babies all decomposing in their ventilators, alongside a children’s ward also filled with decomposing bodies of children.

As you read this, Israel is once again breaking international law at Al-Shifa. Already, the war crimes committed are inexcusable, but 30,000 innocent civilians are displaced inside, and according to doctors and nurses, no one has eaten for five days as of 23rd March 2024.

This has gone on for way too long. The world sees what Israel has done, and our country MUST sanction the state and bring an end to the suffering. It is on every one of us to do whatever we can to stop a genocide from taking place, and no matter how grave the atrocities of 7th October were, committing this level of suffering, starvation, and contempt for human life is unacceptable.

1.1 million people are now experiencing famine, including over 500,000 children. This is forced starvation, which according to the United Nations, is the fastest starvation of a population in the world’s history. This is entirely preventable, and Israel is solely responsible for blocking aid at every crossing and killing starving people as they try to retrieve what little aid is dropped into the tiny strip by international bodies.

Hoping this ends soon is not enough, airdropping more aid in is not enough, words are not enough.

We must stand against this (and every) Holocaust, not just in the past, but in the present and future. I urge you, as my representative, to call for the immediate halt of arms sales, all exports, financial ties, and the complete sanction of the state of Israel.

Regards,

FULL NAME

FULL ADDRESS

Sources:

Decomposing Babies: https://www.newarab.com/news/israel-left-premature-babies-die-alone-gaza-hospital

Israel is forcibly starving an entire population, 1.1 people are experience IPC Level 5 Hunger: https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/gaza-hunger-figures-worst-record-says-oxfam

Latest statistics on civilians killed & Healthcare families attacked: https://euromedmonitor.org/en

The current siege on Al-Shifa: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/18/israeli-army-opens-fire-inside-gazas-al-shifa-hospital-officials-say