Gaza Herald_ The devastation in Gaza has reached a critical point, with international medical organizations warning that the besieged enclave’s health system is on the verge of total collapse. As Israel’s relentless assault continues, hospitals are being shut down, aid is blocked, and tens of thousands of wounded Palestinians are left without care.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said more than 15,000 injured Palestinians, including countless children, are in urgent need of medical intervention. Yet, due to Israel’s blockade and ongoing bombardments, medical care is almost impossible to access. “The ongoing aggression is blocking humanitarian aid and prolonging the nightmare for Gaza’s population. We reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic.
In just ten days, four hospitals were forced to close, leaving only 14 partially functioning facilities in Gaza City. More than half of Gaza’s medical infrastructure is now out of service, including the Hamad Rehabilitation Hospital. Many patients with severe wounds or chronic illnesses cannot receive treatment, and no one is allowed to leave Gaza for care abroad. WHO officials further noted that emergency medical shipments cannot be delivered because of Israel’s airstrikes.
The humanitarian toll is rising rapidly. Between January and September alone, 502 children suffering from malnutrition were admitted to treatment centers, reflecting the deadly combination of famine and medical collapse. Jasarevic warned that without an immediate ceasefire, Gaza faces not only famine but also mass preventable deaths from untreated wounds, disease, and the breakdown of its entire health system.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) echoed the warnings, announcing it had been forced to suspend its final operations in Gaza after Israeli forces surrounded its remaining clinics. “We had no choice but to suspend our work after IOF troops encircled our facilities. This was the last thing we wanted, given the overwhelming needs in Gaza. Newborns, critically injured patients, and those with life-threatening conditions are left without care,” said MSF emergency coordinator Jacob Grange from Geneva.
In a statement, MSF described the collapse as “heartbreaking,” noting that hospital wards, which should be filled with newborns and patients recovering from surgeries, now stand empty. Thousands of civilians remain trapped in Gaza City without medical support as Israeli tanks and airstrikes close in on residential neighborhoods.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, backed by the United States and several European powers, has waged a campaign of mass killing, displacement, and starvation in Gaza. More than 233,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded, most of them women and children. Entire neighborhoods have been flattened, over 11,000 people remain missing, and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes.
The collapse of Gaza’s health system is not an unintended consequence—it is the direct result of policies that weaponize starvation, disease, and the denial of medical care. Unless an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access are secured, the world will bear witness to one of the gravest preventable tragedies of our time.
