Gaza Herald – Israeli occupation has continued to impose strict restrictions on the entry of medical aid and volunteer teams into the Gaza Strip.
Jordanian surgeon Dr. Osama Hamed recounted being repeatedly denied re-entry to Gaza since leaving the territory in March 2025. He explained that Israeli occupation uses complex methods to limit medical personnel, including reducing the number of entrants to a minimum or issuing sudden refusals just hours before scheduled entry, without providing any legal or security justification.
International sources from Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) confirmed that no medical or humanitarian supplies have been delivered to Gaza since the beginning of the year due to persistent Israeli obstacles. These restrictions continued despite a theoretical ceasefire that began in October 2025, while ongoing Israeli attacks and bombardments have resulted in hundreds of additional deaths and worsened the humanitarian crisis in Gaza’s deteriorating hospitals.
Christopher Loggier, secretary-general of Médecins Sans Frontières, warned of the worsening humanitarian situation, noting the spread of infectious diseases among displaced populations. He revealed a waiting list of over 18,000 injured and ill patients needing urgent medical evacuation, including around 4,000 children whose lives are at serious risk due to the lack of specialized care and essential medicines.
Israel has not only destroyed hospitals and targeted medical staff but also blocked humanitarian aid and foreign medical teams, further deepening the suffering of patients.
Dr. Osama Hamed described the medical situation in Gaza as “completely devastating,” emphasizing that the systematic targeting of the health system included the destruction of facilities, assassinations, and arrests of local medical personnel. He added that preventing external medical teams from effectively isolating the wounded from any chance of treatment, urging international organizations and the global community to take legal and moral responsibility for the thousands of injured facing slow death due to the medical blockade.
Gaza has endured a US-backed genocidal war since October 2023, resulting in more than 72,000 killed and 172,000 injuries over two years. Nearly 90% of civilian infrastructure has been destroyed, making the provision of medical services nearly impossible amid severe shortages of fuel, surgical equipment, and the barring of foreign medical specialists.
