As a Registered Midwife, I am both outraged and horrified by the terror inflicted upon Palestinian mothers/parents and children. Watching the brutality taking place in Gaza and Israel for the past month has deeply affected many pregnant and parenting Jewish and Palestinian parents in Canada.

However as 11,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed in what can only be called collective punishment in response to attacks in Israel on October 7th, we must raise our voices as Primary Health Care Providers against war crimes such as the targeting of ambulances and hospitals.

The violence Palestinian parents in Gaza face has led to preterm deliveries. They are denied access to essential medications such as anesthesia for cesarean sections, and their newborn babies are bombed or left to die in NICUs when ventilators are turned off due to lack of fuel caused by the Israeli occupation. 

Midwives stand for reproductive justice which includes the right of every parent to raise their children in safety, allowing them not just survival but also the opportunity to thrive. This is why we must act now.

I urge my fellow midwives across Canada, as well as all those who believe in human rights and justice, to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. We must demand an end to Canadian funding of actions that result in what can only be described as genocide, ethnic cleansing, and occupation by Israel. We should insist on the release of all hostages both Israeli and the several thousand illegally detained Palestinian prisoners, hundreds of them children.

Most importantly, we need a collective outcry against targeted violence towards pregnant Palestinians and their children - innocent lives caught up in this conflict.

The World Health Organization, UNFPA, Doctors Without Borders and other international bodies are all insisting on a ceasefire and expressing grave concern for the wellbeing of civilians and especially pregnant and parenting families in Gaza.

We must stand by our colleagues in Palestine as they continue to care for civilians despite the risk to themselves. If you are interested in contributing your services as a midwife through consultation and speak Arabic, Health Workers Alliance for Palestine (HAP) is urgently seeking both midwives and OB's to provide this life saving care. Please reach out to them directly and sign their petition! 

Our voices can make a difference – let us use them not just for our patients at home but also those suffering abroad. Let's stand together against injustice wherever it occurs because every life matters equally.

Please sign this petition today – let's show that we care about humanity above politics or borders.