Gaza Ministry of Health, Palestine

 August 01, 2014

Urgent call for international assistance to evacuate civilians

The Ministry of Health Gaza calls for immediate international assistance to evacuate thousands of civilians trapped under heavy Israeli bombardment in Rafah, in which at least 40 have already been killed and over 150 injured.

 Some five kilometres between Salah Al-Eddin street and Al Najjar Hospital is under intense and indiscriminate artillery fire, ambulances are unable to reach the wounded, and thousands of civilians are trapped in their homes.

We cannot reach the civilians to evacuate them, the wounded to provide medical care, or the dead to retrieve their bodies.

Israel has informed the United Nations that there is no truce.

We have officially notified the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva of the critical situation, which has all the makings of the biggest Israeli massacre in living memory.

 Gaza needs immediate help to evacuate civilians from this area.

The Ministry of Health Gaza calls on the ICRC, The United Nations, international NGOS and people of good conscience everywhere to act immediately to:

1.       Provide immediate assistance to evacuate civilians;

2.       Provide immediate assistance to enable the retrieval of the dead and injured;

3.       Exert sufficient international pressure to bring an immediate end to the Israeli massacre of Gaza civilians.

Contacts:

Dr Yousef AbuAlrish, Deputy  Minister of Health                                +972 597 918 339

Dr Medhat Abbas, Director General, Ministry of Health                      +972 599 403 547