Statement - MSF mourns the killing of tenth colleague in Gaza

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is shocked and saddened by the killing of our colleague Alaa Abd-Elsalam Ali Okal by an Israeli airstrike on his apartment building in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza, Palestine.

Along with hundreds of others across the Gaza Strip, Alaa Abd-Elsalam Ali Okal was killed in the early morning of 18 March following the resumption of Israeli attacks. Hundreds more were injured in this abrupt end to the ceasefire.

Alaa Okal joined MSF as a laundry worker in September 2024 and played an important role in supporting people in need of medical care at MSF’s field hospital in Deir Al Balah. He was 29 years old. In this tragic moment, our thoughts are with his family, and all our colleagues in Gaza with whom we mourn his death and stand during these extremely difficult moments.

Alaa Okaal is the tenth MSF colleague to be killed since the war started in Gaza. We condemn the killing of our colleague and call yet again for the respect and protection of civilians.

Copyright: MSF
Copyright: MSF

Hannah Hoexter

Senior Press Officer, MSF UK

 

 

 

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About MSF UK

This is the media office for the UK office of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

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