Vehicles of the Palestinian Red Crescent carrying aid for civilians arrive at the entrance of the Tulkarm refugee camp near Tulkarm during an ongoing raid on the Palestinian city in the Israel-occupied West Bank. AFP
"A dramatic escalation in violence, marked by prolonged Israeli military incursions and stricter movement restrictions... have severely hindered access to essential services, particularly healthcare, exacerbating already dire living conditions for many Palestinians," it said.
Israeli violence against Palestinians has soared in the West Bank since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023.
"Since October 7, 2023, the West Bank has seen a dramatic escalation in violence, marked by prolonged Israeli military incursions and stricter movement restrictions," it said.
The report examined "the attacks and the obstructions of healthcare in a context of, what has been described by the ICJ (International Criminal Court) as segregation and apartheid" and revealed "a pattern of systematic interference by Israeli forces and settlers in emergency healthcare delivery".
Israeli troops and settlers have killed at least 884 Palestinians in the West Bank since the Israeli war on Gaza began, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Over the same period, at least 32 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military raids in the territory, official Israeli figures show.
Preventing Palestinians from accessing healthcare was "part of a wider system of collective punishment imposed by Israel, under the guise of its crackdown on armed Palestinian men", MSF said.
"The already-strained Palestinian healthcare system in the West Bank has been further weakened since October 2023 and is facing significant budget constraints", it said.
Nearly half of essential medications are out of stock and health workers have not been paid in a year, the report said, adding that "most clinics and hospitals are running at significantly reduced levels".
"Access to healthcare is severely impeded by a sprawling system of checkpoints and roadblocks that obstruct ambulance movements, compounded by the escalation of violent military raids involving the use of disproportionate tactics".
This is compounded by "frequent attacks on medical personnel and facilities... Hospitals and healthcare structures are often encircled by military forces, with troops sometimes occupying the buildings themselves, compounding the risks to both patients and staff."
Violence from settlers often exacerbates these dire conditions, it said.
MSF called on Israel to stop its "disproportionate use of force" in the West Bank, including on medical facilities and against medical personnel.
It called for independent probes into past such attacks, for Israel to facilitate medical access to those in need, and to allow the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA to be allowed to continue its work.
Israel has accused UNRWA, without presenting evidence, of providing cover for Hamas—allegations that have since been debunked in an independent investigation. Nonetheless, Israel passed legislation severing ties with the agency, which came into effect last week, severely restricting its operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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