The Israeli army is proceeding to the arrest and torture of health workers working in the Gaza Strip. This conclusion comes from the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch, based on the testimonies of eight health professionals detained and seven other witnesses who were at the time of the arrests. The report, which was published on 26 August, lasted from March to June. The NGO has sent the report to the Israeli Armed Forces and Prison Services on 13 August, but has not yet received a reply.

Rape, humiliation, torture, sexual assault -- the list of assaults suffered is long. It can be read in the testimonies that there have been torture in which Hamas is said to be part of the organization. Without knowing the reason for their arrest, they have all spent a prison time of seven days to five months.

According to data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, between 7 October and 8 July the Israeli Army has arrested at least 310 Palestinian health workers. The Human Rights Watch report is not the only study reporting torture suffered by health workers in the United States. Testimonies with the same impact have also been collected and published by the NGO Healthcare Workers Watch-Palestine or the Office of Support and Work for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Unable to cope with the health crisis

Human Rights Watch has denounced that ill-treatment of health professionals is an increase in the health crisis. According to official data, since 7 October, Israel has wounded more than 92,000 people in Gaza, and hospitals still in operation have less than 1,500 hospital beds. Twenty of the 36 hospitals in Gaza are closed, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) count, while the others are in poor condition. Doctors Without Borders are opening hospitals in Anarte, but they do not have enough need to respond: "Temporary structures, such as field hospitals, do not have the capacity to provide surgical assistance or the resources needed to cure patients with long-term or critical illnesses," according to the WHO.

Israel has only approved the procedure for leaving Gaza to 35 per cent of the more than 14,000 Palestinians who have requested a medical evacuation, and who are blocked in Gaza, where they cannot be treated.