Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian aid organization that publicly supports abortion and other left-leaning causes, is claiming there are clear signals that Israel has committed "ethnic cleansing" in its war against Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
In its latest report, “Gaza: Life in a Death Trap,” released Thursday, the organization claims since Hamas’ massacre of 1,200 Israeli citizens and the hostage taking of 250 others on Oct. 7, 2023, it has “witnessed 14 months of repeated attacks on civilians, the dismantling of essential civilian infrastructure including healthcare facilities, and a systematic denial of humanitarian assistance, seemingly underpinning Israel’s campaign to unravel the very fabric of society in Gaza.”
Israel Defense Forces has strongly rejected accusations of genocide and ethnic cleansing, while insisting that it does everything possible to limit the loss of human life, NBC News reported Friday.
The group claims Israeli forces are “crushing the entire population of Gaza,” citing figures released by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry that more than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 150,000 wounded since the conflict began. The report does not state the Health Ministry’s figures don’t differentiate between Hamas terrorists and civilians, many of whom have been used as shields by Hamas from Israeli attacks. Since the start of Israel’s military operation in Gaza, Israel has said its goal is to eviscerate Hamas and rescue the hostages being held.
“While we don’t have legal authority to establish intentionality, the signs of ethnic cleansing and the ongoing devastation — including mass killings, severe physical and mental health injuries, forced displacement, and impossible conditions of life for Palestinians under siege and bombardment — are undeniable,” the report stated.
“Attacks on civilians, the dismantling of the healthcare system, the deprivation of food, water and supplies are a form of collective punishment inflicted by the Israeli authorities on the people of Gaza. This must stop now.”
The report calls for an immediate cease-fire in the conflict and for Israel to take “all necessary steps to ensure that urgently needed aid reaches those in need, including by putting a stop to actions that disrupt law enforcement capacities within the Gaza Strip.” It also calls on Israel to revoke a law banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, even though the group’s ties with Hamas and the Oct. 7 terrorist attack have been uncovered.
It also calls on other nations, including Israel’s allies, “to end their unconditional support for Israel and fulfill their obligation to prevent genocide in Gaza. States must leverage their influence to alleviate the suffering of the population and enable a massive scale-up of humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip.”
The Biden administration said Thursday it appreciates organizations like Doctors Without Borders and that it is deeply concerned about the scale of civilian harm in the Gaza conflict.
“We’re continuing to emphasize that the parties need to comply with international humanitarian law,” State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said during a briefing Thursday. “Even within their report, they make pretty clear that they don’t have the legal authority to determine intentionality, and I certainly don’t have an assessment from the U.S. government to offer today as it relates to ethnic cleansing.”