The World Medical Association (WMA) has reiterated its earlier statements about the protection of healthcare in Israel and Gaza.

The call came after the tragic death of Dr Marwan al-Sultan, the director of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza recently. Recall that an Isreali strike on a residential building in Gaza killed the director of the Indonesian Hospital along with members of his family.

WMA said the death of Dr Marwan al-Sultan “reminds us of the disastrous humanitarian implications when physicians and other healthcare personnel become victims of armed conflicts.”

To this end, the WMA has therefore called for a swift, negotiated, sustainable end to the hostilities, the release of all hostages, humanitarian aid to reach all those in need, and re-establishment of safe healthcare facilities and access to care.

The deaths of physicians and other personnel involved in treating patients in these conflicts has a multiplier effect – patients needing lifesaving care will have fewer options, and some may even die from the lack of access.