Gaza: The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip has sounded the alarm over the severe and rapid decline of the health situation in the region, emphasizing that it has reached catastrophic levels threatening the right to life and health for over two million Palestinians.
According to Qatar News Agency, this deterioration is exacerbated by ongoing restrictions imposed on the medical system and the targeting of its fundamental components, following more than two years of conflict. Dr. Mohammed Zaqout, Director General of Hospitals at the Ministry of Health in Gaza, highlighted that the situation in the enclave is no longer a random health crisis but a direct consequence of Israeli policies that have systematically deteriorated the health system. This situation has forced the remaining operational hospitals to become waiting zones for thousands of patients and wounded individuals, facing uncertain futures.
Dr. Zaqout elaborated that over 20,000 patients are awaiting treatment abroad, noting that the partial operation of the Rafah Crossing does not adequately serve Gazans, given the humanitarian crisis they face. The crossing continues to operate on a limited basis, worsening the health and humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip. The restricted operation of the crossing, which limits the number of travelers and slows medical evacuation procedures, poses a direct threat to thousands of patients and exacerbates the humanitarian and health crisis.
He urged for the permanent and regular operation of the Rafah Crossing to ensure free movement for patients and injured Palestinians, allowing for immediate evacuation of critical cases. He also called for increasing the number of travelers in proportion to the growing medical needs in the Strip.
Addressing the dire medical reality in Gaza, Zaqout highlighted the acute shortage of medicines and supplies, with "stock-zero" levels of drugs turning even basic painkillers into luxuries. He warned that 46 percent of essential medicines, 66 percent of medical consumables, and 84 percent of laboratory and blood-bank materials are completely depleted, threatening to shut down labs and blood banks altogether.
Zaqout added that several laboratory tests are at risk of halting, including complete blood count services, coagulation factor testing, and cancer diagnostics. He emphasized that critical services like oncology, hematology, surgery, and intensive care are among the most affected.
The limited quantities of medicines reaching Gaza's hospitals are grossly inadequate to meet actual needs, rendering the provision of healthcare services a daily miracle amid a lack of prospects for recovery. Zaqout underscored that medical operators, who played crucial roles during the conflict, continue to face detention and harsh treatment by the Israeli occupation, violating international norms and laws.
He called on human rights and UN organizations to intervene urgently for the release of detained medical operators and ensure their protection. Zaqout stressed that restoring Gaza's health situation cannot rely on temporary measures and requires an urgent international response. The health sector in Gaza is suffocating under a ban on access to medicines and essentials, alongside the targeting of medical personnel, corroborated by UN and human rights reports warning of an impending collapse of the health system.