A total of 1,232 Finnish medical professionals signed a petition urging the Finnish government and the European Union to take immediate action to stop Israel's war crimes and the destruction of Palestinian healthcare in Gaza and the West Bank.
The doctors in the petition also placed a set of demands including implementation of targeted sanctions and trade restrictions on Israel, independent investigations into Israel's war crimes and bringing perpetrators to justice and suspending Israel's membership in international organizations, said a press release on Monday.
"We demand immediate and concrete measures against Israel, including sanctions and restrictions, to prevent future crimes and to ensure that past crimes are investigated by independent international bodies," said the doctors in the petition.
The petition, signed by Finnish medical professionals, including representatives from various specialties, numerous associate professors, and internationally recognized professors was submitted to the European Parliament on October 21.
Earlier, the petition was delivered to the President of Finland, several ministers, and Finnish Members of the European Parliament on October 16.
The signatures were collected over a two-week period at the beginning of October 2025.
The medical professionals in the petition expressed their shock over Israel's numerous attacks against civilians and healthcare in Gaza and the West Bank.
According to them, these actions violate international humanitarian law and human rights treaties.
The petition refers to numerous independent investigations as well as testimonies and eyewitness accounts from local and international aid workers and doctors.
"As doctors, we are committed to protecting life and human dignity. Civilians – especially children, healthcare workers, and aid personnel – have been deliberately killed. Survivors have been systematically denied access to essential medical treatment and humanitarian aid. Additionally, civilians, including children and health care workers, are being detained without charges and subjected to psychological and physical abuse in Israeli prisons. These violations are occurring not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank. This is not only a medical crisis – it is a moral catastrophe," the petition states.
The doctors in the petition placed a set of demands before the Finnish government and the European Union, including implementation of targeted sanctions and trade restrictions on Israel.
Other demands in the petition included recognition of the State of Palestine, reinforcing the Palestinian right to self-determination, an immediate ceasefire and unhindered access for humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank, ensuring the humane treatment of all detainees and supporting independent investigations into Israel's war crimes and bringing perpetrators to justice and suspending Israel's membership in international organizations.
"The current ceasefire is a welcome development and maintaining it must remain a top priority. However, Israel has violated the ceasefire multiple times, killing civilians and justifying the attacks by claiming that those civilians crossed 'yellow lines'—lines that are invisible to the people on the ground. Israel also continues to restrict the flow of aid, and the assistance reaching the population remains wholly insufficient. Nearly 90% of Gaza's infrastructure has been destroyed, and an overwhelming number of civilians are in urgent need of medical care and other humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, violence and human rights violations against Palestinians continue in the West Bank," said the two doctors, who prepared the petition.
According to the doctors, this is a matter of professional and ethical responsibility. The deliberate killing of civilians and the obstruction of aid violate international human rights treaties, they said.
"Human life and dignity have become politicized, and the credibility of both Finland and the EU in upholding international law is eroding. EU member states are committed to the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Fair treatment of all people, regardless of religion or nationality, is the only viable path to peace in the region," said the two doctors.
- Finnish
- Doctors
- Sanctions
- Israel
- War crimes
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
