The Lancet, one of the oldest and most credible medical journals, recently estimated that up to 186,000 people in Gaza could have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023. This is a conservative estimate and yet, this is 8% of the Gazan population.

The article says that for every direct death from armed conflict there is anywhere from 3 to 15 times as many indirect deaths due to health implications. Israel’s blockade of water, food, electricity and destruction of medical infrastructure has caused a public health crisis. People are dying from starvation, dehydration and communicable diseases. Children are suffering from severe wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition. During this phase of starvation, the body literally begins to eat itself. Without water, brain cells shrink and can cause rupture of veins leading to bleeding in the brain. Even if the children survive the malnutrition, bombs and torture in Israeli military prisons, their growth and mental health are incalculably impacted.

As an aspiring pediatrician at Maine’s only medical school, I have been enraged by the silence from my school. Silence is complicity with the oppressors and the medical establishment has chosen to be on the wrong side of history.

Palestinian human rights lawyer Soheir Asaad said Gaza’s resilience and resistance is inspirational. “I do believe … in the agency of Palestinians to free ourselves. But I also …  truly believe in global solidarity…” I call on American medical professionals to be in solidarity with our fellow health care workers struggling for justice and humanity in Palestine.

Mahal Alvarez-Backus
Biddeford