Medics in UK and US Say They Have Been Barred from Gaza After Speaking Out
Medical professionals from the United Kingdom and the United States believe they have been denied re-entry into Gaza after providing first-hand testimony on the ongoing conflict. Reports indicate rising refusal rates, with medics and humanitarian organisations describing what they perceive as arbitrary denials of access.
Under international law, Israel is required to facilitate the unimpeded and rapid passage of humanitarian aid. However, medics who spoke with the Guardian stated they were given no reason for being blocked from entry, leading them to suspect their refusals stemmed from their public accounts of conditions in Gaza. Others suggested that their identity or prior experience in the territory may have influenced the decisions.
Cases of Denied Entry Highlight Concerns
Among those recently denied entry is James Smith, an emergency doctor who has not returned to Gaza since June 2024. In 2025, he was twice denied entry without explanation. Smith, who travelled with the nonprofit Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), speculated that his public profile and political expressions might be factors.
"Not just had I spoken to media outlets but I had spoken in a particular way," said Smith, referencing Israel's registration guidelines for NGOs, which include considerations such as participation in boycotts. "I can only assume that it was elements of my public profile, because I’m otherwise a white, middle-class, British man with no Palestinian heritage, no criminal convictions."
Khaled Dawas, a consultant surgeon based in London, was denied entry in August and November after travelling to Gaza in 2024. He believes his outspokenness is the primary reason for the refusals. "I can’t think of anything else," Dawas said. "I’m not military. I don’t carry anything. I’m no different to the colleagues who have gone in. The only difference is that they haven’t spoken up as much."
Identity and Advocacy as Potential Factors
Thaer Ahmad, an emergency physician from Chicago, has been denied entry four times, most recently in January. As a Palestinian-American born in the US, he believes his identity and advocacy since his 2024 visit to Gaza contributed to the blocks, with Israeli authorities citing security concerns.
"This idea of weaponising access and weaponising aid, it’s engrained in all of the decisions that we see are being made in Gaza," said Ahmad, urging governments to assist doctors in appealing decisions.
Fresh concerns over access emerged after 37 NGOs active in Gaza were told in December to cease operations, including MAP. For the past six months, MAP has been unable to send medical workers or aid into Gaza, with no reasons provided for blocked entries.
Organisational and Legal Responses
Steve Cutt, MAP’s chief executive, called the denial of entry a "deliberate measure" by Israeli authorities, with life-and-death consequences for Palestinians. "Israel’s deregistration of international NGOs and restrictions on medical personnel are part of a wider pattern of measures that are cruelly blocking humanitarian assistance and obstructing independent medical witnesses," he said.
Humanitarian organisations typically share lists of volunteer medics with the World Health Organisation before entry into Gaza. Some medics discovered denials close to 24 hours before their planned entry after travelling to Jordan, while others received rejections days before departure from the UK ahead of Israeli holidays.
Cogat, the Israeli military agency controlling access to Gaza, dismissed the claims as "false and unfounded." The agency stated, "They stem from ulterior interests of organisations that refuse to operate transparently and to cooperate with Israel’s registration process, which is based on clear professional and security criteria designed to safeguard the integrity of the humanitarian system." Cogat added that Israel continues to act to strengthen Gaza's healthcare system.
Government and Legal Actions
A UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson noted that the foreign secretary met with medical teams denied entry late last year. "Israel must immediately lift restrictions and allow food, medical supplies and fuel to reach those in desperate need, in line with international humanitarian law," they said.
A petition filed to the Israeli supreme court cites seven cases of alleged illegal refusals, including that of Graeme Groom, an orthopaedic surgeon from London and co-founder of the charity Ideals. Groom, who has visited Gaza over 40 times, has been denied entry three times since 7 October, with no explanation given.
"We think it may be because we are bearing witness to what is happening in Gaza," he said. "Denying us entry is an extension of the policy which has excluded international journalists, and kills Palestinian journalists."
Victoria Rose, a London-based consultant plastic surgeon denied entry alongside Groom in late 2025, is uncertain if her outspokenness on injuries in Gaza led to the block. "They don’t want anyone going that knows the system, is useful, that is effective, that’s where it seems to be. I don’t necessarily think they’ve got a handle of what I’ve done or said," she said.
After the October ceasefire announcement, the death toll in Gaza continues to rise, with humanitarian organisations criticising barriers to aid and medical evacuations. In August, the WHO reported a nearly 50% increase in denial rates for international health professionals, with 102 people barred since 18 March.
