On the evening of 26 June 2024, the Israeli authorities shared several new posts on social media about Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff member Fadi Al-Wadiya, accusing him of being involved in military activities in Gaza. MSF is deeply concerned by these allegations and is taking them very seriously.
MSF would never knowingly employ people engaging in military activity. Any employee who engages in military activity would pose a danger to our staff and our patients. Everywhere we work, we ask our employees to undertake a commitment to the MSF Charter, which includes respecting humanitarian principles and medical ethics.
We had no prior knowledge of Fadi’s alleged involvement in military activities. Despite the fact that we reached out to the Israeli authorities asking for clarifications about the circumstances of his killing, until now we have not received any formal explanation.
MSF is looking forward to full transparency around the circumstances of his killing. Only an independent investigation can establish the facts. The same strike that killed Fadi killed four other people including two children.
We are worried that the way the Israeli authorities have been communicating about this situation will contribute to further endangering our staff and discrediting medical and humanitarian workers in Gaza and the West Bank. Five other MSF staff members have been killed in Gaza since 7 October with no accountability, while according to the United Nations, 500 health workers have been killed during the same time.
Our priority is to ensure the safety of the hundreds of our staff and our patients. We remain committed to providing lifesaving care in Gaza, where humanitarian and medical needs are staggering. Currently we are running medical activities in two hospitals (Al-Aqsa hospital, Nasser hospital), one clinic in Gaza City, and six healthcare facilities. The situation for Palestinians in Gaza remains catastrophic. We continue to call for a permanent and sustained ceasefire, the protection of humanitarian workers, and for all parties to ensure humanitarian assistance can be delivered safely to those who need it the most.
Please note: This article was updated on 30 July after MSF received updated information from the Ministry of Health regarding the number of people killed in the strike on 25 June.
