26 November 2024
Statement calling for ceasefire in Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon
As midwives, we hold the sanctity of life at the heart of our work, nurturing and safeguarding the creation of whānau. As such we feel compelled to acknowledge the humanitarian crisis and plausible genocide we are witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank.
Entire communities are being annihilated through Israeli bombardment, displacement, and systematic destruction of essential civilian infrastructure. Urgent action is essential to prevent further harm and loss of life. While the official death toll in Gaza stands at 41,000, The Lancet estimates that the actual number may be as high as 186,000 when including deaths from starvation and disease. The expansion of Israel’s military operations into Lebanon will only create further devastation for countless innocent civilians.
Key humanitarian impacts: women, children, and healthcare workers
The crisis is catastrophic and worsening
- 7 million people, the majority of Gaza’s population, have been displaced.
- 50,000 pregnant Gazan’s are without access to medical care, with 180 babies born daily in dangerous and inadequate conditions.
- Over 700 healthcare workers, including midwives, have been killed, leaving the healthcare system in total collapse and rendering hospitals unable to meet even basic needs.
- The restriction of food and water in Gaza has caused famine, especially affecting children and pregnant women, leading to widespread malnutrition, miscarriage and pre-term birth.
- The destruction of water and waste infrastructure has facilitated the spread of communicable diseases such as hepatitis A and the resurgence of polio.
- In the West Bank, access to healthcare has been severely hindered by Israeli attacks.
- The expansion of military operations into Lebanon threatens to plunge the entire region into broader conflict.
- Despite widespread global condemnation, the United States has repeatedly used its veto power at the UN Security Council to block ceasefire resolutions, obstructing efforts to end the violence and deliver humanitarian aid.
ICJ ruling: the occupation is illegal
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that:
- Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal under international law, as it violates the principles of self-determination and human rights.
- Israel’s policies of segregation, movement restrictions, and punitive home demolitions constitute apartheid and racial discrimination.
The question of genocide in Gaza is currently before the ICJ. The provisional measures issued in January 2024 indicated that the ICJ considered genocide to be a plausible risk.
The College calls for urgent actions by the New Zealand government to support:
- Immediate ceasefire: as midwives, we demand an immediate ceasefire to halt the violence in Gaza and Lebanon and the release of all hostages. This is crucial to prevent further loss of life and allow humanitarian aid to reach vulnerable women, children, and healthcare workers.
- Urgent humanitarian access: as the healthcare system nears collapse, we call for the opening of humanitarian corridors to ensure the delivery of food, water, medical supplies, and fuel, especially for pregnant women, newborns, and those suffering from malnutrition.
- Protection of healthcare workers and hospitals: midwives across Aotearoa demand that hospitals and healthcare workers, including midwives, be protected from further attacks. Targeting medical facilities is a gross violation of international law, and protecting healthcare is essential for saving lives.
- End the illegal occupation: our members urge the New Zealand government to advocate for the end of Israel’s illegal occupation, in accordance with the International Court of Justice’s ruling, and for Palestinians’ basic human right to life and to self-determination.
- Fast-track humanitarian visas for Palestinian families: we urge the government to expedite visas for Palestinians with family connections in New Zealand, ensuring their protection from the violence and helping reunite families caught in the conflict.
The humanitarian disaster in Gaza is a devastating failure of global governance, with civilians—particularly mothers, babies, and children—bearing the heaviest burden. The College recognises that the crisis in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon is not only a catastrophic humanitarian failure but also a direct assault on civilian life and health infrastructure and now a plausible case of genocide. We urge the New Zealand government to act immediately in accordance with international obligations to prevent further escalation.
Bibliography
United Nations OCHA updates. https://www.ochaopt.org/content/reported-impact-snapshot-gaza-strip-2-october-2024
Aljazeera article “A Midwife in Gaza” https://www.aljazeera.com/features/longform/2024/9/11/a-midwife-in-gaza-bringing-life-to-the-world-during-israels-war
WHO emergency situation reports. https://www.emro.who.int/images/stories/Sitrep_46b.pdf
UNFPA https://www.unfpa.org/occupied-palestinian-territory
ICJ advisory opinion of July 19 2024 on Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid. https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/186/186-20240719-sum-01-00-en.pdf
ICJ investigation into possibility of genocide in the Gaza strip https://www.icj-cij.org/case/192
MSF reports on healthcare access in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. https://www.msf.org/gaza-israel-war
BMJ editorial “Violence in Palestine demands immediate resolution of its settler colonial root causes”. https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/10/e014269
The Lancet estimates on mortality rates from starvation and disease in Gaza. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01169-3/fulltext
International Court of Justice. Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. Summary of the Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024, https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/186/186-20240719-sum-01-00-en.pdf (19 July 2024, accessed 4 October 2024).
International Court of Justice. Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), https://www.icj-cij.org/case/192 (2023, accessed 4 October 2024).