West Bank - The healthcare system in the occupied West Bank has been in "a state of perpetual emergency" since October 2023, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) group said in a new report published on Thursday.

"A dramatic escalation in violence, marked by prolonged Israeli military incursions and stricter movement restrictions... have severely hindered access to essential services, particularly healthcare, exacerbating already dire living conditions for many Palestinians," the report said.

"Since October 7, 2023, the West Bank has seen a dramatic escalation in violence, marked by prolonged Israeli military incursions and stricter movement restrictions," it added.

The report examined "the attacks and the obstructions of healthcare in a context of, what has been described by the ICJ (International Court of Justice) as segregation and apartheid" and revealed "a pattern of systematic interference by Israeli forces and settlers in emergency healthcare delivery."

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The Palestinian health ministry says Israeli troops and settlers have killed at least 884 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7, 2023.

Over the same period, at least 32 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military raids in the territory, official Israeli figures show.

Preventing Palestinians from accessing healthcare was "part of a wider system of collective punishment imposed by Israel, under the guise of its crackdown on armed Palestinian men," MSF said.

"The already-strained Palestinian healthcare system in the West Bank has been further weakened since October 2023 and is facing significant budget constraints," it said.

Nearly half of essential medications are out of stock and health workers have not been paid in a year, the report said, adding that "most clinics and hospitals are running at significantly reduced levels."

"Access to healthcare is severely impeded by a sprawling system of checkpoints and roadblocks that obstruct ambulance movements, compounded by the escalation of violent military raids involving the use of disproportionate tactics."

This is compounded by "frequent attacks on medical personnel and facilities... Hospitals and healthcare structures are often encircled by military forces, with troops sometimes occupying the buildings themselves, compounding the risks to both patients and staff."

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Violence from settlers often exacerbates these dire conditions, the report said.

MSF called on Israel to stop its "disproportionate use of force" in the West Bank, including on medical facilities and against medical personnel.

The organization called for independent probes into past such attacks, for Israel to facilitate medical access to those in need, and to allow the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA to be allowed to continue its work.

Israel has accused UNRWA of providing cover for Hamas militants and passed legislation severing ties with the agency, which came into force last week.