Dear Dominic Raab, MP (Foreign Secretary),

This letter is an appeal from the group ‘Global Surgery’, a group of doctors, physician associates and surgeons at Queen Elizabeth hospital who believe and advocate for access to essential surgery for all as a human right.

Along with the international human rights community, we are shocked and appalled by the needless loss of life in Gaza. The events in Sheikh Jarrah, in which Palestinian families were threatened with imminent forcible removal from their homes by Israeli police and military, amounts to flagrant violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.

The United Nations (UN) currently estimates that 181 Palestinians, including 52 children, and 10 Israeli’s including 2 children have been killed thus far (1) .

The UN coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Tor Wennesland has also reported that 40 schools and four hospitals were completely or partially destroyed in Gaza and 18 buildings including four high-rise towers, including one housing several press offices, had been razed (2).

With the resultant lack of electricity, unreliable access of clean water and sewage treatment affecting hundreds of thousands, it is predicted Gaza’s health system will likely be unable to meet the needs of those injured during the violence.

We call on you in your capacity as foreign secretary, to resolutely condemn the use of indiscriminate civilian bombing by all parties and demand an immediate cessation to hostilities, respect for and implementation of international human rights law and to initiate immediate provision of aid and relief to the besieged population in Gaza.

Yours sincerely,

Global Surgery

References

(1). Physicians for Human Rights (PHR). PHR Statement on Escalating Violence Engulfing Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Available at: https://phr.org/news/phr-statement-on-escalating-violence-engulfing-israel-and-the-occupied-palestinian-territories (Accessed 16.5.21)

(2).  Holmes O, McKernan B, Borger J. Israel and Palestine heading for ‘uncontainable’ crisis, UN chief warns. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/16/un-chief-warns-israel-palestine-heading-uncontainable-crisis (Accessed 16.5.21)