The death of over 50 protesters in Gaza has been described as “unacceptable and inhuman” by the international aid organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
On Monday, Israeli soldiers shot and killed 55 Palestinians, and injured 1359 more with live ammunition, during protests at the Israel-Gaza border in response to the US decision to move their embassy to Jerusalem, essentially putting an end to the idea of a two-state solution.
In a statement, MSF said:
“What happened today is unacceptable and inhuman. The death toll provided this evening by Gaza health authorities in Palestine —55 dead and 2271 wounded, including 1359 wounded with live ammunition—is staggering.
It is unbearable to witness such a massive number of unarmed people being shot in such a short time. Our medical teams are working around the clock, as they have done since 1 April, providing surgical and post-operative care to men, women and children, and they will continue to do so tonight, tomorrow, and as long as they are needed.
In one of the hospitals where we are working, the chaotic situation is comparable to what we observed after the bombings of the 2014 war, with a colossal influx of injured people in a few hours, completely overwhelming the medical staff. Our teams carried out more than 30 surgical interventions today, sometimes on two or three patients in the same operating theatre, and even in the corridors.
This bloodbath is the continuation of Israeli army’s policy during the last seven weeks: shooting with live ammunition at demonstrators, on the assumption that anyone approaching the separation fence is a legitimate target. Most of the wounded will be condemned to suffer lifelong injuries.
As new demonstrations are announced for tomorrow—Tuesday, when Palestinians will observe the ‘Nakba Day’—the Israeli army must stop its disproportionate use of violence against Palestinians protesters.”
A number of funerals for the dead have already taken place for those killed on Monday. However, the combination of anger over yesterday’s violence and the significance of 15 May as “Nakba Day” (“awm an-Nakba” or “Day of the Catastrophe”) could result in further casualties.
