Thirty UK-based doctors and medical professionals who recently volunteered in Gaza have issued an urgent plea to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, calling for the immediate cessation of military support for Israel and an end to arms trade with the country. The letter emphasises the “massive human toll from Israel’s attack on Gaza” and describes the “military escalation of catastrophe in Gaza,” which has led to “the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system.”
The signatories, who include consultants, surgeons, and specialists, detailed their harrowing experiences working in Gaza’s hospitals since October 2023. They described the widespread devastation caused by Israeli military actions, which have resulted in the near-total collapse of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.
The doctors also stressed that “Israel has directly targeted and deliberately devastated Gaza’s entire healthcare system,” leading to catastrophic conditions for civilians.
The letter underscores the dire human toll of the war, with the Ministry of Health in Gaza reporting approximately 40,000 deaths. However, the doctors suggest that the actual number could be much higher, citing a report in “The Lancet” estimating the figure at around 186,000 when including unrecorded deaths due to malnutrition, disease, and other factors exacerbated by the war.
The doctors also report that nearly every child under the age of five in Gaza is suffering from severe malnutrition and disease, including jaundice, hepatitis A, and respiratory illnesses. They recount being forced to use household supplies, such as vinegar, as antiseptics due to a lack of medical resources, and describe the appalling conditions in which pregnant women are giving birth, often without pain relief or adequate medical care.
“We are not driven by any political agenda but by our duty to care for those who are suffering,” the letter states. “We cannot remain silent about what we saw in Gaza.”
The doctors urge the UK government to impose an arms embargo on Israel and to open all land crossings to Gaza for the unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid. They call for the establishment of international mechanisms to ensure the proper screening of aid and the restoration of healthcare access in the region.
The letter concludes with a powerful appeal to the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary David Lammy: “End our role in this unimaginable cruelty now.”
