2023 Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC) Factsheet
Based on Insecurity Insight data, the SHCC identified 761 incidents of violence against or obstruction of health care in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) in 2023, compared to 172 in 2022. Hospitals were shelled by Israeli artillery and tank fire and subjected to Israeli air and missile strikes. The vicinity of hospitals and health facilities were hit multiple times by airstrikes destroying main roads and surrounding buildings and hindering medical crews ability to reach casualties and wounded Palestinians. Ambulance drivers, doctors, dentists, gynecologists, hospital staff, janitors, laboratory technicians, medical students, nurses, opticians, orthopedists, paramedics, pharmacists, psychologists, physiotherapists, program heads/administrators, surgeons, and volunteers from local humanitarian relief groups were killed, injured, and arrested. In several cases, entire families that had multiple members who were medical professionals were killed in single attacks, usually while they were at home. Available in Arabic and English.
A Disturbing Trend: Over 1000 Attacks on Health Care in the oPt since 07 October 2023
Over 1000 recorded attacks on health care have been recorded in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), five months into Israel’s assault on Gaza following attacks by Hamas-affiliated militant groups from Gaza into southern Israel on 07 October 2023. In the last six months the oPt has become the third conflict to report over 1000 attacks on health care. Last August, 18 months after Russia’s full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022, over 1,000 attacks were recorded. A few months later in November, this horrific milestone was reached in Myanmar, 30 months after the military coup in February 2021.
Our data is available to download and can be explored visually using our interactive Attacked and Threatened: Health Care at Risk map.