Since hostilities between Israel and Gaza began on 7 October 138 Palestinian and nine Israeli healthcare staff have been killed, the humanitarian organisation Insecurity Insight has reported.1 In addition, 212 Palestinian healthcare staff have been arrested, although the figures may be underestimates because of the “sheer volume of incidents” and the difficulties in collating and verifying the effects of attacks on personnel, it said.
Other major aid and human rights organisations have estimated that more than 300 health workers have been killed, as well as at least 167 aid workers in Gaza—the highest of any conflict in this century.2
At least 743 incidents of “violence against or obstruction of access to healthcare” have …