Palestine: Explosive weapons cause widespread carnage in Gaza
Explosive weapons were designed to be used in open battlefields but are increasingly used in urban settings, causing widespread carnage.
A study published by the Lancet documents the immense human toll of indiscriminate attacks on people in Gaza, based on an analysis of medical data from Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
An analysis of more than 200,000 MSF consultations in six MSF-supported health structures in 2024 found that explosive weapons, such as bombs and grenades, were responsible for 83 per cent of the wound-care consultations for survivors of violence.
“Explosive weapons are indiscriminate, causing complex injuries due to blast, fragmentation and heat. In two hospitals, we observed that nearly 60 per cent of the injuries were related to explosive weapons,” says Meinie Nicolai, former emergency coordinator in Gaza. “The makeshift shelters in which people are forced to live offer little to no protection against these weapons.”
The data analysis finds a very high rate of infected wounds – more than 18 percent – in patients seeking care for the first time. This is the result of the unhygienic living conditions for people who have been forcibly displaced multiple times.
The lack of protection of civilians is clear: 29.6 per cent of all wound consultations were for children below 15 years, and 32 per cent of the consultations were for women.
This lack of protection is also a reality for health care workers. More than 1,550 health care staff have been killed since October 2023, including 12 MSF staff. Not a single hospital in Gaza is fully functional.
These indiscriminate attacks must stop.
The human carnage and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza is deliberate. The widespread use of explosive weapons is one example. At the same time, humanitarian aid is being weaponized and blocked, while healthcare services are targeted daily.
MSF reiterates our call for an immediate and standing ceasefire. MSF calls for the protection of civilians and respect for essential medical and humanitarian work. MSF urges Israel to directly allow and protect, impartial and unrestricted medical aid.
