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Israel and Gaza conflict: RCN reiterates call for ceasefire as MPs prepare for vote in UK parliament

We continue to condemn attacks on health care workers and their patients amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.

Palestinian ambulance photographed in Bethlehem in 2019

MPs will today (21 February) vote on whether to support a motion for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, something the RCN has been calling for to protect civilian lives and allow the delivery of vital humanitarian assistance.

Nursing staff and their colleagues in Gaza continue to deliver care in impossible situations. Ongoing airstrikes, as well as restricted medical supplies, food and water threaten the safety and wellbeing of civilians and health workers alike.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that without urgent action to protect services, Gaza is at serious risk of complete medical shut down.

We’re speaking to our international alliances about the support they’re providing across the region, including the International Council of Nurses, which is supporting nurses in both Israel and Gaza through their Nurses for Peace campaign.

We stand with other global health organisations to condemn every attack on health care workers and their patients and call for all parties in the conflict to abide by their legal obligations under international humanitarian law.

This is a challenging time for those concerned about their family and friends in the area, and many will find the news coming out of the Middle East distressing.

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