To: Dr Stephen Harden, President, Royal College of Radiologists

Dear Dr. Harden,

We, the undersigned radiologists, oncologists, and allied health professionals, are writing to express our urgent concern regarding the catastrophic and rapidly worsening health crisis in Gaza.

As clinical radiology and oncology professionals, we are acutely aware that tens of thousands, including children, are at imminent risk of death due to starvation, as confirmed by WHO and UN reports. This crisis is compounded by the systemic destruction of healthcare infrastructure, the targeting of medical personnel and medical equipment, and the collapse of routine medical care — all in violation of international humanitarian law, medical neutrality, and the fundamental right to healthcare.

We are gravely concerned by the deliberate targeting and destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza. The toll from bombardment, civilian casualties, mass bereavement, starvation, and the systematic destruction of healthcare and vital medical imaging equipment is staggering.

As healthcare professionals, we recognise the significant intergenerational harm and trauma these conditions inflict on patients and their families, with devastating consequences that will echo for decades.

The UN Independent Commission of Inquiry (September 2024) concluded that Israel implemented a concerted policy to destroy Gaza’s health system, and Israeli security forces deliberately tortured and killed medical personnel, in violation of the right to mental and physical health. Of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip, only 19 remain operational, and at least 94% of all hospitals in the Gaza Strip are damaged or destroyed. More than 1,000 healthcare workers have been killed since October 2023.

This is a crisis that certainly demands our profession’s unequivocal condemnation.

We acknowledge the statement issued by the Society of Radiographers in 2023 regarding the situation. However, we are also disappointed by the deafening silence of the Royal College of Radiologists, especially in light of the clear escalation from an acute crisis into sustained atrocity. We note the College’s strong stance on Ukraine in 2022 and urge equal moral clarity here: Silence is not neutrality, it is complicity.

We demand the Royal College of Radiologists:

1. Publicly condemn the mass killing of Palestinian civilians, the use of starvation, and the systematic destruction of health infrastructure as violations of international law and catalysts of generational trauma.

2. Endorse UN Security Council Resolution 2728 (March 2024), which demands an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access, and civilian protection.

3. Express solidarity with Palestinian and foreign health professionals, honouring those who have been killed and providing concrete support.

4. Collaborate internationally to support the urgent restoration and maintenance of healthcare services in Gaza.

5. Mobilise members to advocate, educate, and act to support health in Gaza.

6. Organise an urgent RCR national summit on Gaza’s health catastrophe, uniting frontline clinicians, Palestinian medical professionals, and humanitarian experts.

This is a defining moment for our profession. We cannot credibly remain silent about its deliberate, systematic harm infliction upon Gaza’s civilians. The Royal College must move beyond rhetoric to take concrete action. We stand ready to support immediate, meaningful interventions, but neutrality is no longer an option.

Sincerely,

[The Undersigned]

UK Clinical Radiologists, Clinical Oncologists and allied health professionals.