As health, aid, and social care professionals, we are bound by a shared ethical duty: to care for and support those in need, irrespective of their background or circumstances. Since October 2023, we have witnessed the unfolding of a devastating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Amid escalating violence, health and aid workers have been directly targeted by Israeli armed forces. This has occurred alongside Israel’s continued obstruction of humanitarian aid, used as a tool of war - actions that defy international humanitarian law.
 
On January 26, 2024, the International Court of Justice issued a binding ruling requiring Israel to “take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope” of Article II of the Genocide Convention. The ongoing targeting of medical personnel and the blockade of aid flagrantly violate this directive.
 
Medical Aid for Palestinians estimates that over 1,400 health workers have been killed in Gaza since 2023, in what can only be described as a systematic assault on the region’s health care system. According to UNRWA, more than 400 aid workers have also been killed. One heartbreaking example occurred on May 23, 2025, when the home of Drs. Alaa and Hamdi al-Najjar was bombed in the southern Gaza Strip. At the time, Dr. Alaa was treating children as a paediatrician in a local hospital. The strike killed nine of their ten children, gravely injured the tenth, and severely wounded Dr. Hamdi. Dr. Alaa received the charred remains of her children at al-Tahrir Hospital while still on duty.
 
While the UK Government has begun to acknowledge the scale of the crisis in Gaza in words, it has yet to act meaningfully. We, as health, aid, and social care workers in the UK, urgently call on our Government to:
 
Immediately impose a full embargo on arms sales and military assistance to Israel;

Demand an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza;

Insist on the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, under strict and transparent international supervision, or otherwise impose full sanctions.

The attack on Gaza has already resulted in nearly 60,000 Palestinian deaths, along with the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure - including hospitals, schools, universities, and homes - depriving countless people of essential and emergency care. The scale of suffering is unimaginable. The international community must act now. A ceasefire, monitored by international agencies, is essential to prevent further loss of life and enable life-saving humanitarian operations. Food, water, medical supplies, and shelter must be delivered without delay.
 
We invite all UK-based health, aid, and social care workers to sign this petition and urge the UK Government to:
 
Guarantee the continuous delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza under international oversight;

Enact an immediate and total embargo on arms sales and military collaboration with Israel;

Advocate for an immediate, durable, and internationally monitored ceasefire.