• Malaysian doctor urges world to put pressure on Israel 'to allow the safe passage of the ship towards Gaza'
• Israel dismantling Gaza’s health system 'by systematically killing health workers in order to ethnically cleanse Gaza,' German doctor tells Anadolu

AMMAN, Jordan/ISTANBUL 

Three doctors on the Ship of Conscience, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, called for an end to Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza on Friday, emphasizing that their mission was to deliver urgently needed medicines and show solidarity with Palestinian healthcare workers under siege.

In an interview with Anadolu, Malaysian general practitioner Dr. Ili Suhaimi said she joined the flotilla to stand with health care workers in Gaza.

“I condemn the acts of brutality, genocide, and violence that are currently being inflicted upon everyone there, including health workers, women, children, and journalists who are supposed to be protected by international law and should not be attacked,” Suhaimi added.

She urged the world to "stand in solidarity with us" and put pressure on Israel "to allow the safe passage of the ship towards Gaza."

Dr. Fauziah Hasan, a Malaysian obstetrics and gynecology specialist, told Anadolu that the flotilla's goal was to provide medical supplies while also raising awareness of Gaza's medical community's situation.

"We, as health care workers, want to express our solidarity with our brothers and sisters, our doctors, and the healthcare workers in Gaza," Hasan said.

"We hope to arrive there and deliver whatever medication we have."

German physician Dr. Albulena Fazliu told Anadolu that Israel is dismantling Gaza's health system "by systematically killing health workers in order to ethnically cleanse Gaza."

“We demand an end to genocide,” she added.

All three doctors highlighted that the flotilla’s broader aim is to pressure Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza, ensure safe passage for humanitarian vessels, and allow sustained medical and relief aid to reach the besieged enclave.

On Oct. 1, “the ship ‘Al-Dhamir’ (The Conscience), designated for international doctors and journalists, sailed towards Gaza from the port of Otranto in Italy.

Israeli naval forces attacked and seized vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla on Thursday and detained more than 470 activists from over 50 countries. The flotilla had been attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge Israel’s blockade of the enclave.

Israel has maintained the blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for almost 18 years.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed nearly 66,300 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it all but uninhabitable, with the blockade also pushing Gaza to a state of famine, with medicine and medical supplies in short supply.