It is no secret that the war in Palestine has wreaked havoc on Gaza’s healthcare system. What may be less well-understood is that Gaza’s medical students have become central to the system’s operations. With the ongoing war well into its second year now, it is more important than ever that we recognize the impact these students have made.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 1,700 healthcare workers have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023, the start of this present phase in the decades-old conflict. The deaths of so many healthcare workers paired with the exhaustion of those still alive has left a void that students have been compelled to fill.

Al Jazeerarecently interviewed one such student, Eman Eyad, who was enrolled in the medical program at the Islamic University prior to its bombing by Israel at the beginning of the war. Eyad has taken the devastation as an opportunity to grow as a health professional, working in Gaza’s largest medical center, al-Shifa Hospital. Eyad told Al Jazeera that “the war makes me more powerful, more experienced,” highlighting the hands-on experience she might not have had in the course of more traditional medical studies.

While medical students may serve as an inspiration to us all, we must not lose sight of the reason so much is being asked of them. The United Nations has publicly accused Israel of targeting Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure and personnel. The former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights accused Israel of “war crimes and the crime against humanity” in reference to “deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities” over the course of its war in Gaza. While formal inquiries have indicated a number of war crimes by both Hamas and Israel, Israel was accused of ‘crimes against humanity,’ which is reserved for “the most serious international crimes knowingly committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against civilians,” according to Al Jazeera. These accusations have been largely brushed off by Israeli officials, who have argued that its attacks on schools, hospitals, and community centers were made targeting members of Hamas or various other armed groups. Hamas has repeatedly denied its use of the locations as command centers, as Israel suggests.

While I do not profess to have a solution to the conflict in Gaza, and do not believe a sure-fire solution exists at this time, the one thing that is abundantly clear to me is that we have lost our compassion if we cannot collectively agree to stop such extreme violence and aggression. The current conflict is only one phase in a war that has been going on for decades. Despite the current (and increasingly shaky) ceasefire agreement, the fighting continues. Since the ceasefire, in fact, Israel’s military has killed at least 330 Palestinians, allegedly in response to the deaths of three Israeli soldiers. The numbers to date tally up to some 67,000+ Palestinian deaths and 2,000+ Israeli deaths. Such lopsided numbers are hardly indicative of a war, and more accurately depict an extermination. The sheer devastation of the conflict has all but forced Gaza’s medical students to shoulder the burden for a crumbling healthcare system. Students have been forced to grow up fast and substitute practice for studies.

The failures of international institutions such as the UN or ICC to hold nations and people accountable are plentiful, and this conflict is no exception. One thing, however, is certain: the effectiveness of international organizations’ accountability measures starts with swaying the opinion of member nations, especially those with significant influence like the United States. This means grassroots mobilization. Everyone here can start with peaceful demonstrations, calls to representatives, community education initiatives, and individual boycotts targeting companies funding the violence. We each have a responsibility to pursue initiatives that further peace if we hope to hasten the end of the conflict. Until we can convince our own governments to condemn a genocide, we cannot hope to stop one.

The impact that these students have had in the face of such devastation cannot be understated. But, we must all fight for a world in which the medical students being asked to sacrifice and save lives can go back to being just that: students. For more information on the conflict and its history, visit this link.