WONCA. Gaza genocide. Genocidio en Gaza ENG ESP

ENGLISH

Gaza after the ceasefire headlines: why WONCA (World Organization of General/Family Physicians) and SAAFP (South African Academy of Family Physicians) still need moral clarity. By Dr Shabir Moosa, MMed, MBA, PhD. April 28, 2026.

See update 8th June 2026 

The world’s attention has shifted. Gaza no longer dominates headlines in the same way it did at the height of mass bombardment, and geopolitical attention is repeatedly redirected elsewhere. But the destruction of health care, civilian suffering, and coercive control in Gaza do not stop simply because international attention has moved on (1,2).

WONCA has not been silent. It has issued a crisis statement, a broader conflict statement, a supportive Palestine post, and later Gaza fundraising and support features (3-7). Its President has also written that accountability, equity, compassion, and the defence of health as a human right should guide WONCA’s leadership, and that attacks on health facilities and forced displacement strip people of care and dignity (8). That is precisely why the current gap matters. These interventions show acknowledgement, but they still do not amount to a coherent institutional response to Israeli conduct in Gaza or to the silence of the Israel Association of Family Physicians (9,10).

The bylaws make this gap harder to dismiss as merely rhetorical. WONCA’s mission includes respect for universal human rights, and its rules provide a process for complaint where a member organization’s policy may no longer accord with Article 4 (11) and revocation of membership based on Article 5.3.1.4. This means that asking WONCA to clarify its expectations of the Israel Association of Family Physicians is not an attempt to impose an alien agenda on the organization. It is a request that WONCA apply its own values and governance framework consistently (8,9,11).

Since September 2025, this issue has become even more difficult to evade. The UN Commission of Inquiry stated that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, and the fuller report later reaffirmed findings of genocidal acts, intent, and state responsibility (12,13). WHO’s report on 2025 in the occupied Palestinian territory states that Gaza continued to suffer catastrophic destruction through the end of the year, with 71,271 people reported killed and 171,233 injured cumulatively by 31 December 2025, over 930 documented attacks on health care, all 36 hospitals damaged, and no hospitals operational in North Gaza by late December 2025 (1). By October 2025, national medical associations were publicly stating that at least 94% of Gaza’s hospitals had been damaged or destroyed and that healthcare workers had been killed, detained, and abused (2).

In that setting, the question is no longer whether enough has been said in general. The question is whether WONCA’s language of accountability, equity, and human rights will be given institutional effect when a member body remains publicly silent in the face of overwhelming evidence (8,9,11). That is why calls to WONCA and SAAFP still matter (14,15).

UPDATE 8th June 2026

    A letter (WONCA EXCO Letter 2026-04-28) and an article (WONCA Newsletter Article 2026-04-28) for the WONCA Newsletter were sent to WONCA EXCO who replied with this response, including declining to publish the article (10697 Response to correspondence to the WONCA Executive Committee)
    A letter was sent to SAAFP (SAAFP Letter 2026-04-28) with no response to date.

Letter to the WONCA Executive Committee 2026/04/28

Dear Members of the WONCA Executive Committee,

This letter is offered in a constructive spirit of support for WONCA’s leadership and values. WONCA has acknowledged suffering in Gaza and Palestine through a crisis statement, a broader conflict statement, and supportive items related to Palestine and Gaza (1-4). The September 2025 President’s message also affirms that accountability, equity, compassion, and the defence of health as a human right must guide WONCA’s leadership, and explicitly notes that conflict and war devastate health systems, that attacks on health facilities and forced displacement strip people of care and dignity, and that WONCA must remain a strong advocate for health as a fundamental human right (5). These statements matter. But taken together, they do not yet amount to a coherent organization-wide response that directly addresses Israeli conduct in Gaza or publicly clarifies WONCA’s expectations of the Israel Association of Family Physicians (6-8).

The bylaws strengthen this concern. WONCA’s mission includes defining and promoting its values, including respect for universal human rights, and its objectives include representing the consensus view of member organizations internationally (9). The bylaws also provide a mechanism by which a member organization may file a complaint where another member organization’s policy is no longer in accord with Article 4, with possible outcomes including warning, suspension, or expulsion (9). In light of those provisions, asking WONCA to clarify its expectations of the Israel Association of Family Physicians as one grounded in WONCA’s own constitutional framework (6,9).

Since September 2025, the evidentiary record has become even stronger. The UN Commission of Inquiry stated on 16 September 2025 that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, and its fuller report published in March 2026 reiterated findings of genocidal acts, genocidal intent, and state responsibility (10,11). WHO’s report on the occupied Palestinian territory records catastrophic destruction and continued deterioration of Gaza’s health system through the end of 2025, including 71,271 people reported killed and 171,233 injured cumulatively by 31 December 2025, more than 930 documented attacks on health care from October 2023 to December 2025, damage to all 36 hospitals, and no hospitals operational in North Gaza by late December 2025 (12). A joint statement from national medical associations in October 2025 added that at least 94% of Gaza’s hospitals had been damaged or destroyed and that healthcare workers had been killed, detained, and abused (13).

In that context, the central concern is not only whether WONCA should use stronger language. The concern is whether WONCA’s stated commitments to accountability, equity, universal human rights, and protection of health care are being applied consistently when a member organization remains publicly silent in the face of overwhelming evidence (5,6,9).

A constructive next step for WONCA would be to move from fragmented acknowledgement to a coherent institutional response (14). Specifically, the Executive Committee is respectfully requested to consider the following:

• Issue a Gaza-specific WONCA statement naming attacks on health facilities, obstruction of medical aid, starvation and siege conditions affecting care, and the destruction of primary care and hospital services as unacceptable violations of medical neutrality and international humanitarian law.

• Publicly request that the Israel Association of Family Physicians clarify its position on attacks on healthcare workers, hospitals, clinics, patients, and civilians, and on the destruction of Gaza’s health system.

• Publish a short implementation note outlining what practical steps WONCA has taken since its earlier statements, including communication with relevant member organizations and any follow-up in World Council processes.

• Clarify whether continued silence from a member organization in the face of such evidence is compatible with WONCA’s mission, values, and bylaws.

This request is not made in a punitive spirit. It is made because WONCA’s own President has emphasized accountability and human rights as guiding values, and because the bylaws provide a framework for responding when member-organization conduct may conflict with WONCA’s mission (5,9).

With appreciation for WONCA’s leadership and with hope for further principled action.

Assoc. Prof. Shabir Moosa

References

1. World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). WONCA Statement on Israeli and Palestinian crisis. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/WONCAStatementonIsraeliandPalestiniancrisis.aspx

2. World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). Statement on Protecting Health Workers and Patients in All Conflict Settings. 2025 Aug 27. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/WONCA_Statement_August_2025.aspx

3. World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). Support Gaza healthcare workers: WONCA backs MSF emergency fund. 2025 Oct 17. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/MSFemergencyfundGaza.aspx

4. World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). Support Oxfam’s Emergency Response in Gaza. 2025 Oct 17. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/OxfamEmergencyResponseGaza.aspx

5. World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). From the President: Family Medicine for a Changing World. September 2025. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/FromthePresidentSeptember2025_2.aspx

6. WONCA Europe. Israel Association of Family Physicians. Available from: https://www.woncaeurope.org/institutes/display/557f8bbc-a365-4ccb-a3c7-1aff105ace09/Israel-Association-of-Family-Physicians

7. Moosa S. Letter to WONCA Exco on Palestine. ProfMoosa. 2025 Aug 30. Available from: https://profmoosa.com/letter-to-wonca-exco-on-palestine/

8. Moosa S. WONCA’s Statement on Gaza Is Not Enough — We Need Moral Clarity, Not Equivalence. ProfMoosa. 2025 Aug 31. Available from: https://profmoosa.com/woncas-statement-on-gaza-is-not-enough-we-need-moral-clarity-not-equivalence/

9. WONCA Association. Bylaws. September 2025. Approved by the WONCA Council by Ordinary General Meeting September 2025.

10. UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry. Report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel. A/HRC/60/CRP.3. Geneva: UN; 2026 Mar 8. Available from: https://www.un.org/unispal/document/commission-of-inquiry-report-genocide-in-gaza-a-hrc-60-crp-3/

11. OHCHR. Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, UN Commission finds. 2025 Sep 16. Available from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/israel-has-committed-genocide-gaza-strip-un-commission-finds

12. World Health Organization. Report: WHO’s response in the occupied Palestinian territory (January–December 2025). 2026 Apr 13. Available from: https://www.un.org/unispal/document/report-whos-response-in-the-occupied-palestinian-territory-january-december-2025/

13. Healthcare in Gaza: a joint statement from national medical associations. BMA. 2025 Oct 7. Available from: https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/healthcare-in-gaza-a-joint-statement-from-national-medical-associations

14. Moosa S. Open letter to WONCA World – Suspend Israel. ProfMoosa. 2025 Sep 9. Available from: https://profmoosa.com/open-letter-to-wonca-world-suspend-israel/ 

Draft article for the WONCA Newsletter

Why WONCA should align its Gaza response with its own values and bylaws

WONCA has spoken about Gaza and Palestine. It has issued a statement on the Israeli and Palestinian crisis, a broader statement on protecting health workers and patients in conflict settings, and supportive items related to Palestine and Gaza (1-5). Its September 2025 President’s message also presents accountability, equity, compassion, and the defence of health as a human right as guiding principles for WONCA’s leadership, and explicitly recognizes that attacks on health facilities and forced displacement strip people of care and dignity (6). These are important foundations. But they do not yet add up to a coherent organization-wide response to Israeli conduct in Gaza or to the public silence of the Israel Association of Family Physicians (7).

The bylaws explain why this matters institutionally as well as morally. WONCA’s mission includes respect for universal human rights, and its bylaws provide a process through which concerns may be raised where a member organization’s policy is no longer in accord with Article 4 (8). That means the question is not whether WONCA should become political, but whether it will apply its own values and procedures consistently when a member body remains silent in the face of extensively documented destruction of a health system (7,8).

Since September 2025, the evidence base has sharpened significantly. The UN Commission of Inquiry stated that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, and the fuller report published in March 2026 reiterated findings of genocidal acts, genocidal intent, and state responsibility (9,10). WHO then reported in April 2026 that Gaza’s health system continued to deteriorate through 2025 despite ceasefires, with over 930 documented attacks on health care, all 36 hospitals damaged, and none operational in North Gaza by late December 2025 (11). A joint statement from national medical associations added that at least 94% of hospitals in Gaza had been damaged or destroyed and condemned the killing, detention, and abuse of healthcare workers (12).

In this context, general concern for all health workers everywhere is ethically necessary, but it cannot substitute for a proportionate institutional response to a case that has been so extensively documented. A global family medicine body that affirms accountability and human rights should be able to say clearly what is happening, ask its Israeli member body to clarify its position, and explain what professional standards require when silence persists (6-8).

The issue is therefore not simply whether WONCA should be more explicit. The issue is whether WONCA’s own language about accountability, equity, and health as a human right will have operational meaning when tested by Gaza.

Assoc. Prof. Shabir Moosa, former WONCA Executive Committee Member

References

1. World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). WONCA Statement on Israeli and Palestinian crisis. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/WONCAStatementonIsraeliandPalestiniancrisis.aspx

2. World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). Statement on Protecting Health Workers and Patients in All Conflict Settings. 2025 Aug 27. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/WONCA_Statement_August_2025.aspx

3. World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). Supporting Our Physician Colleagues in Palestine. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/SupportingOurPhysicianColleaguesinPalestine.aspx

4. World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). Support Gaza healthcare workers: WONCA backs MSF emergency fund. 2025 Oct 17. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/MSFemergencyfundGaza.aspx

5. World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). Support Oxfam’s Emergency Response in Gaza. 2025 Oct 17. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/OxfamEmergencyResponseGaza.aspx

6. World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). From the President: Family Medicine for a Changing World. September 2025. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/FromthePresidentSeptember2025_2.aspx

7. Moosa S. WONCA’s Statement on Gaza Is Not Enough — We Need Moral Clarity, Not Equivalence. ProfMoosa. 2025 Aug 31. Available from: https://profmoosa.com/woncas-statement-on-gaza-is-not-enough-we-need-moral-clarity-not-equivalence/

8. WONCA Association. Bylaws. September 2025. Approved by the WONCA Council by Ordinary General Meeting September 2025.

9. UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry. Report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel. A/HRC/60/CRP.3. Geneva: UN; 2026 Mar 8. Available from: https://www.un.org/unispal/document/commission-of-inquiry-report-genocide-in-gaza-a-hrc-60-crp-3/

10. OHCHR. Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, UN Commission finds. 2025 Sep 16. Available from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/israel-has-committed-genocide-gaza-strip-un-commission-finds

11. World Health Organization. Report: WHO’s response in the occupied Palestinian territory (January–December 2025). 2026 Apr 13. Available from: https://www.un.org/unispal/document/report-whos-response-in-the-occupied-palestinian-territory-january-december-2025/

12. Healthcare in Gaza: a joint statement from national medical associations. BMA. 2025 Oct 7. Available from: https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/healthcare-in-gaza-a-joint-statement-from-national-medical-associationsss-releases/2025/09/israel-has-committed-genocide-gaza-strip-un-commission-finds 
        11. World Health Organization. Report: WHO’s response in the occupied Palestinian territory (January–December 2025). 2026 Apr 13. Available from: https://www.un.org/unispal/document/report-whos-response-in-the-occupied-palestinian-territory-january-december-2025/ 
        12. Healthcare in Gaza: a joint statement from national medical associations. BMA. 2025 Oct 7. Available from: https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/healthcare-in-gaza-a-joint-statement-from-national-medical-associations 

References

    World Health Organization. Report: WHO’s response in the occupied Palestinian territory (January–December 2025). 2026 Apr 13. Available from: https://www.un.org/unispal/document/report-whos-response-in-the-occupied-palestinian-territory-january-december-2025/
    Healthcare in Gaza: a joint statement from national medical associations. BMA. 2025 Oct 7. Available from: https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/healthcare-in-gaza-a-joint-statement-from-national-medical-associations
    World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). WONCA Statement on Israeli and Palestinian crisis. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/WONCAStatementonIsraeliandPalestiniancrisis.aspx
    World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). Statement on Protecting Health Workers and Patients in All Conflict Settings. 2025 Aug 27. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/WONCA_Statement_August_2025.aspx
    World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). Supporting Our Physician Colleagues in Palestine. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/SupportingOurPhysicianColleaguesinPalestine.aspx
    World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). Support Gaza healthcare workers: WONCA backs MSF emergency fund. 2025 Oct 17. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/MSFemergencyfundGaza.aspx
    World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). Support Oxfam’s Emergency Response in Gaza. 2025 Oct 17. Available from: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/OxfamEmergencyResponseGaza.aspx
    World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). From the President: Family Medicine for a Changing World. September 2ilydoctor.com/News/FromthePresidentSeptember2025_2.aspx
    WONCA Europe. Israel Association of Family Physicians. Available from: https://www.woncaeurope.org/institutes/display/557f8bbc-a365-4ccb-a3c7-1aff105ace09/Israel-Association-of-Family-Physicians
    Moosa S. WONCA’s Statement on Gaza Is Not Enough — We Need Moral Clarity, Not Equivalence. ProfMoosa. 2025 Aug 31. Available from: https://profmoosa.com/woncas-statement-on-gaza-is-not-enough-we-need-moral-clarity-not-equivalence/
    WONCA Association. Bylaws. September 2025. Approved by the WONCA Council by Ordinary General Meeting September 2025.
    UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry. Report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel. A/HRC/60/CRP.3. Geneva: UN; 2026 Mar 8. Available from: https://www.un.org/unispal/document/commission-of-inquiry-report-genocide-in-gaza-a-hrc-60-crp-3/
    Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, UN Commission finds. 2025 Sep 16. Available from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/israel-has-committed-genocide-gaza-strip-un-commission-finds
    South African Academy of Family Physicians. Gaza, SAAFP, social activism and the world. [Internal communication]. 2026 Apr 2.
    Moosa S. A Landmark Victory: SAAFP Adopts Historic Motion on Palestine. ProfMoosa. 2025 Sep 9. Available from: https://profmoosa.com/a-landmark-victory-saafp-adopts-historic-motion-on-palestine/

ESPAÑOL