“Israeli” Occupation Forces Claim life of Second MSF Worker in Two Weeks

By Staff, Agencies

Doctors Without Borders [MSF] revealed that “Israeli” occupation forces [IOF] claimed life of the second MSF worker in Gaza in two weeks, bringing the total death toll to 11 since the war began 18 months ago.

Hussam Al-Loulu, 58, martyred in an “Israeli” airstrike on Tuesday in southwest Deir Al-Balah alongside his wife and 28-year-old daughter, leaving behind two sons, MSF reported.

Al-Loulu joined MSF in December as a security guard at the organization’s emergency unit in Khan Younis.

“Our colleague Hussam was martyred along with hundreds of others across the Gaza Strip since the resumption of attacks by IOF on 18 March,” MSF added.

Last week, the IOF claimed life of another member of MSF, Alaa Abd-Elsalam Ali Okal, in his apartment building in Deir Al-Balah, in central Gaza, during an airstrike.

On March 18, the IOF resumed its genocidal war against the Gaza Strip, breaking a two-month-old ceasefire deal with the Hamas.

At least 1,249 people have been martyred in Gaza since “Israel” resumed large-scale strikes on the narrow Strip after abandoning the ceasefire. The number of people injured since the "Israeli" attacks restarted now stands at 3,022.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the overall death toll in Gaza has reached 50,609 since the war began on October 7, 2023. The number of people injured in Gaza since that date stands at 115,063.

MSF has warned that the siege and bombardment of Gaza has deprived Palestinians of basic needs, including food, medicines, and water, which eventually leads to widespread deaths and health complications.

MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza, Myriam Laaroussi, said “'Israel' have condemned the people of Gaza to unbearable suffering with their deadly siege," emphasizing, "This deliberate infliction of harm on people is like a slow death; it must end immediately.”

According to MSF, the siege has forced hospitals and medical centers to ration medications such as pain killers, provide less effective treatment, or turn patients away.

Hospitals and medical centers have run out of surgical supplies such as anesthetics, pediatric antibiotics, and medicines for chronic conditions like epilepsy, hypertension, and diabetes, MSF reports.

MSF has reiterated its call for a ceasefire agreement. “This bloodshed must stop,” MSF said.