The condition of the health sector in the Gaza Strip is increasingly worrying following the destruction of medicine storage facilities at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Deir al-Balah, due to Israeli military attacks. The destruction of this vital infrastructure has triggered a massive shortage of medical supplies, threatening the safety of thousands of patients surviving amidst a tight blockade.
The Director General of the Gaza Ministry of Health, Munir Al-Bursh, revealed that the medical logistics situation has reached a critical point. Currently, more than 53 percent of essential medicines and about 59 percent of medical supplies are completely depleted. In addition, nearly a quarter of laboratory equipment, or about 22.5 percent, is unusable due to the lack of spare parts.
The latest airstrikes specifically targeted and devastated the medicine storage warehouse for kidney failure patients at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. This adds to the long list of damage to medical facilities, after two main medicine warehouses and two other health logistics storage centers were previously destroyed by Israeli forces.
These medical limitations are further compounded by poor environmental sanitation in the displacement camps. According to epidemiological monitoring data, about 28 percent of disease cases spreading in Gaza are caused by the consumption of clean water contaminated by sewage, triggering a rapid spread of infections among refugees.
The tightening blockade hinders the entry of emergency humanitarian aid, including medicines, fuel, and lubricants for hospital generators. As a fatal consequence, more than 1,500 patients with medical referrals abroad have reportedly died because they did not receive permission from the occupying authorities to cross for treatment.
Munir Al-Bursh emphasized that such military actions systematically deprive Gaza's civilians of their right to life and health services. He urged the international community to immediately stop these violations and provide legal protection for medical facilities and logistics in accordance with the provisions of international humanitarian law.
Since tensions peaked in October 2023, the escalation of the conflict in Gaza has claimed more than 73,000 lives and injured 174,000 other Palestinians. Without guaranteed access to humanitarian aid and the restoration of medical facilities, it is feared that the health crisis in this isolated enclave will develop into an entirely uncontrollable humanitarian disaster.
