Israel has banned six aid groups from providing medical care to the people of Gaza. Doctors who have worked inside the Strip have issued warnings about the massive human toll Israel’s onslaught has wreaked. 

On Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it was informed by Tel Aviv that healthcare workers from six groups, including the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA), can no longer provide aid in the besieged enclave. 

The WHO is concerned Tel Aviv’s ban will add more stress to the Strip’s already strained healthcare system. The Gaza Health Ministry has reported nearly 100,000 injuries during the past year. 

Israel made the decision to ban the organizations after 99 American healthcare workers signed an open letter accusing Israeli forces of intentionally murdering Palestinian children and estimating the number of dead in Gaza over the past year has surpassed 118,000. 

Feroze Sidhwa, a surgeon with PAMA, led the letter and penned an op-ed for the New York Times calling for a US arms embargo against Israel.

Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed around 170 Palestinian journalists. The persistent attacks against the media have resulted in a lack of information about the bombardment’s true toll.

Western healthcare workers who go on aid missions inside the Strip are one of the few sources of information. If Tel Aviv bans the doctors from visiting Gaza, it will surely tighten the information blackout.