Jewish Voice for Peace Health Advisory Council Urgent Update August 23, 2025
ACTION ITEMS
1. The BDS movement requests you write to representatives of the states attending the Arms Trade Treaty Conference in Geneva, Switzerland 8/25-29 demanding they take action against their members breaking the treaty terms by providing weapons to Israel. Here:
2. Attend the People’s Conference for Palestine, 8/29-31, in Detroit, MI. Plenaries, workshops, cultural events, and organizing sessions to deepen strategy, strengthen unity, and build a mass movement. Find out more and join the 3000+ people already registered: here
3. Affirm unwavering solidarity with HEAL Palestine, an organization dedicated to providing essential medical aid and support to the Palestinian people. Critics expresses deep discontent over the Department of State’s recent decision to target and halt the humanitarian temporary visa program, a critical lifeline for suffering Palestinian children in urgent need of medical care in the United States. Contact the State Department (here ) and Congress (here) to support the work of HEAL and demand the reversal of this decision.
4. Center for Constitutional Rights has called on Kathy Jennings, the Delaware Attorney General, to respond to its demand that she investigates the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and seek to revoke its charter. See detailed letter to the AG. CCR said Jennings has an obligation to sue to revoke GHF’s corporate charter on grounds that the ostensible charity is complicit in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. To date, Attorney General Jennings has neither responded to the CCR nor publicly addressed the serious claims raised against the Delaware-registered entity. here
Email Jennings here (Mondoweiss 8/15)
Webinars
JVP HAC webinar: Fast and Slow Genocide: Gaza and the West Bank, 9/7, 1 pm EDT, with Drs. Sara Aly and Mark Perlmutter, available in English and Spanish, register https://www.jvphealth.org/events
We Must Not Look Away: Resisting Oppression and Pursuing Justice by Roy Eidelson for the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence, Division 48 of the American Psychological Association. Tuesday 9/9 noon – 1pm EDT. Register here:
Holocaust Memory and “Fighting Antisemitism” in Times of Genocide. Amos Goldberg, Hebrew University, discusses: How is it that the 3 countries in which Holocaust memory is most dominant——Israel, the United States, and Germany—are the very countries most involved in the genocide in Gaza? Sponsored by Scientists for Palestine. 9/10 at 7pm Palestine, 5pm GMT, noon EDT, 9amPDT. Register: here
United Nations
UN and NGOs warn of humanitarian impact of intensified Gaza City offensive and further mass displacement.
· 9/18, the Humanitarian Country Team of the OPT condemned the Israeli plan’s “horrific humanitarian impact on people already exhausted, malnourished, bereaved, displaced, and deprived of basics needed for survival. Forcing hundreds of thousands to move south is a recipe for further disaster and could amount to forcible transfer,” a war crime.
· “We stress that all those displaced must be allowed to return if they so wish” and called for “a permanent ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages…” See the complete statement here:
· Similar statements from International Red Cross here
Silence is complicity
· 8/18, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators of the OPT, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon issued a statement reiterated their call to “those in power to end attacks against humanitarian workers and aid operations. Release all those arbitrarily detained. Safeguard the humanitarian space in the Middle East.” Since 8/2024, at least 446 aid workers were killed, wounded, kidnapped or detained in the OPT, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon; since 8/2023, 584 killed, 215 wounded, 38 detained, and 4 kidnapped.
· “The assault on humanitarian space now includes moves to dismantle multilateral norms, undermine UN-mandated bodies, and defund institutions tasked with protection and justice. Even speaking out has become a liability, risking humanitarian access and triggering political retaliation. The climate of permissiveness is politically indefensible and morally intolerable. There can be no exceptions to the rules of war. All parties must comply with international humanitarian law and be held accountable.” Full statement here
On famine in Gaza
· 9/22, Dr Ramiz Alakbarov, Humanitarian Coordinator of the OPT confirmed the reality of famine in Gaza. “This catastrophe is entirely human-made. Despite repeated warnings, and tireless efforts to avert it, the political will to ensure unimpeded humanitarian operations by the UN and NGOs has tragically fallen short. Further escalation of the war will lead to more forced displacement, violence, and widespread destruction. It will further destroy remnants of health, water, sanitation and hygiene systems, and increase disease outbreaks, worsening the conditions that drive acute malnutrition.” Full statement here: 9/22, Under-Secretary General Tom Fletcher decried the Gaza famine: “It is a famine that we could have prevented, if we had been allowed. Yet food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel. It is a famine within a few hundred meters of food, in a fertile land. It is a famine that hits the most vulnerable first… But that the international media has not been allowed in to cover… It is a 21st century famine watched over by drones and the most advanced military technology in history. It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war… Enough. Ceasefire. Open the crossings, north and south, all of them. Let us get food and other supplies in, unimpeded and at the massive scale required. End the retribution. It is too late for far too many. But not for everyone in Gaza. Enough. For humanity’s sake, let us in. Full statement here
Journal articles & Reports
The Lancet: A correspondence discusses the dire conditions of Gaza’s maternal and neonatal health sector and devastating results for mothers, newborns, and their families. In the first 6 months of 2025, livebirths declined 41% compared to the same period in 2022; during the same period, 2600 pregnancies ended in miscarriage, 220 resulted in intrauterine fetal deaths, and 21 newborns died within 24 hours. Premature births, congenital malformations, and low birthweight are also commonplace. The authors describe pregnant mothers’ experiences of malnutrition, repeated forced displacement, and increasingly limited access to healthcare as well as dire living conditions where water, sanitation, and food are severely deficient. History will record whether the world chose to preserve Palestinian life and stop this genocide; Gaza's mothers cannot wait for a more convenient moment to claim their right to give birth safely.” here
The Lancet: War wounds caused by explosive weapons in Gaza: data from a 2024 study by Médecins Sans Frontières. Of 207 942 general outpatient department (OPD) consultations. 114 368 (55·0%) OPD consultations were for women and 41 588 (20·0%) were for children younger than 5 years. Wound care accounted for 44·8% of all consultations (93 254 of 207 942) which were conducted for 22 637 patients across included health facilities. Almost a third of wound care-related consultations were for women (29 841 [32·0%]) and 27 655 (29.7%) were for children younger than 15 years, of which 9179 (9·8%) were for children younger than 5 years. Violent trauma, including physical violence and directly targeted violence against a person or group of people, presented in nearly half of wound care-related consultations (39 700 [42·6%]; range 13–66% across facilities; table). The remaining wound care-related conditions were injuries due to unsafe living conditions, domestic-related accidents, and road-related accidents. here
Global Environmental Change: Using satellite data, meteorological data, and machine learning techniques, this study examined changes in key atmospheric pollutants in Gaza between 2019 and 2024. Models demonstrated substantial changes in air pollutants post-10/2023, including sharp sustained increases in UVAI and CO reflecting widespread combustion and infrastructure damage, spikes in SO2 indicating widespread fuel burning and infrastructure damage, and steady rises in methane signaling collapse of the waste management and sanitation systems. “Policy implications include the urgent need for conflict-sensitive environmental monitoring systems, the integration of satellite data into humanitarian planning, and the development of adaptive forecasting models that incorporate war-related variables, such as infrastructure damage and displacement patterns.”
International Journal of Infectious Diseases: A correspondence discusses the world’s failure to uphold the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Gaza, noting that “if these fundamental rights are not defended here, the global commitment to the SDGs is rendered meaningless.” In particular, the authors emphasize the complete failure and collapse of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). The authors emphasize that as of July 2025, 80% of Gaza’s population is facing IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) or 5 (Catastrophe/Famine) food insecurity, 75% of Gaza’s hospitals are non-functional or severely damaged, and less than 5% of water in Gaza is safe to drink with over 90% of sewage being discharged untreated into the environment. The authors call attention to the global health community’s silence on Palestine. here
Nature Medicine: A correspondence discusses the potential health consequences of Israel’s proposed forced displacement of the entire population of Gaza into a “humanitarian city” in Rafah, with exit only possible through permanent departure to another country. Given Israel’s destruction of Rafah’s basic water, sanitation, and health infrastructure, forcing 2 million people into the space would likely result in rapid disease outbreaks due to overcrowding, malnutrition, poor sanitation, and no access to functioning hospitals. Forced migration to other countries also leads to far-reaching consequences on health and well-being including substantial barriers to health care access, social and political exclusion, post-traumatic stress and other mental health conditions, and intergenerational trauma. The authors emphasize that “modern colonialism masked as redevelopment or peacebuilding must be rejected. No state should be permitted to redraw borders or expel populations in the name of redevelopment or freedom, especially when the result would perpetuate severe health consequences, trauma and generational suffering on a massive scale.” here
European Journal of Social Work: In this editorial, the journal’s editors-in-chief discuss how the values and professional ethics of social work compel them “to respond when human dignity and basic rights are under threat” as they are in Gaza. “The European Journal of Social Work therefore reaffirms its mission as an inclusive platform for critical debate. Only by continuing to bear witness and analyse these injustices can social work contribute to durable solutions and to the vision of peace and social justice articulated in our global definition.” here
BMJ News Articles
The IPC system has confirmed that famine is now widespread in Gaza, making it the first time a famine has been officially declared in the Middle East region. Save the Children: “this engineered famine is the ultimate and inevitable result of the government of Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war.” Numerous global bodies including the FAO, Unicef, UNWFP, and the WHO continue to call for an end to the forced starvation of Gaza and the allowance an “unimpeded, large scale humanitarian response that can save lives.” here
An action group comprised of healthcare professionals, UK Healthcare Petitions to Royal Colleges, developed several petitions calling on royal colleges to advocate for the protection of healthcare workers and civilians in Gaza. The petitions were sent to the colleges on 9/8 and have currently received more than 10,000 signatures from healthcare workers, including 5,000 doctors. The petition to the Royal College of General Practitioners, calls on the college to condemn Israel’s “starvation, siege, and healthcare obstruction” and “provide a platform for concerned RCGP members to engage in advocacy, education, and public health dialogue on the responsibilities of doctors in humanitarian crises.” here
In a letter published by Physicians for Human Rights Israel, more than 100 international doctors and healthcare workers who have volunteered in Gaza called on the global community to protect all Palestinians, including healthcare workers, from Israel’s “catastrophic and targeted assault.” The letter also calls for the protection of health care sites, the lifting of Israel’s illegal blockade of humanitarian supplies, an immediate and permanent ceasefire and end to the military occupation of Gaza, and accountability for the parties responsible for “attacks, detentions, and abuse affecting the medical mission in Gaza.” “Today, we raise our voices again in full solidarity with our Palestinian colleagues in Gaza, all of whom continue to endure unimaginable violence.” Israel’s ongoing genocide and deepening siege have effectively destroyed the entire health system in Gaza.” here
As US universities deepen ties with Israeli institutions, a Hebrew-language report by New Profile, an Israeli anti-militarization movement, sheds light on the extent to which those institutions are embedded in the country’s military apparatus — with Israel expanding its assault on Gaza and spiraling settler and army violence throughout the West Bank. The report identifies at least 57 military-academic programs for active-duty soldiers and conscription candidates across numerous universities and estimates that financial cooperation between the Ministry of Defense and academia for soldier study programs from 2019 to 2022 exceeded NIS [shekels] 269 million (roughly $79 million). here
From UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese: “For those who [say] ‘It can't be genocide as the Palestinian population is growing, Gaza has had the largest drop in life expectancy of any place on earth in modern history.” The life expectancy in Gaza dropped over 30 years in the first 12 months of the war, according to a study in the Lancet earlier this year. (Drop Site 8/18)
Israel is carrying out a deliberate campaign of starvation in Gaza, systematically destroying the health, well-being and social fabric of Palestinian life, Amnesty International said today as it published chilling new testimonies of starved displaced civilians. Their accounts underscore the organization’s repeated findings that the deadly combination of hunger and disease is not an unfortunate byproduct of Israel’s military operations. It is the intended outcome of plans and policies that Israel has designed and implemented, over the past 22 months, to deliberately inflict on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction – which is part and parcel of Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. here
Voice memo from Gaza med student
“I Just Want to Die” here
GAZA
Israeli forces continue air, land and sea bombardment of homes, schools and IDP tents, and began an expanded attack on the ~1 million people crowded into northern Gaza, especially Jabalya and Gaza City. Since 3/18, 796,000 people have been displaced. Since 5/27, Israeli targeting (with US mercenary support) of Palestinians seeking food has killed 2,018 and injured 14,947. Famine was officially declared on 8/22 as the Israeli strategy of starvation achieved a total of 273 malnutrition deaths (112 children).
· This week: 400 Palestinians killed, 2,683 injured
· Since 10/07/2023: 62,122+ killed, 156,758+ injured.
· Israeli soldiers in Gaza: 454 killed (0 this week), 2,874 injured (2 this week)
· Hostages in Gaza: 50
For more information here:
· Israeli army database suggests at least 83% of Gaza dead were civilians.
Classified intelligence from May reveals Israel believed it had killed some 8,900 militants in its attacks on Gaza, indicating a proportion of civilian slaughter with few parallels in modern warfare, a joint investigation finds. here
Key Highlights
The UN and NGOs will maintain presence in Gaza city, warning that the Israeli authorities’ plan to intensify military operations there will have a horrific humanitarian impact.
Major international NGOs face imminent de-registration by the Israeli authorities, and most have been unable to deliver any supplies to Gaza since 3/2.
People with disability are gravely affected by the dearth of adequate rehabilitation services, which suffer restrictions on the entry of equipment and personnel.
Sewage continues to be diverted into stormwater basins and the sea, causing severe environmental pollution.
