On Palestinian Wounded Day The Suffering of Gaza’s Wounded Is Testimony to the Crime of Genocide and the Failure of the International Community
Date: March 13, 2025
Press Release
On Palestinian Wounded Day
“The Suffering of Gaza’s Wounded Is Testimony to the Crime of Genocide and the Failure of the International Community”
March 13 marks Palestinian Wounded Day, a day designated in 1968 by the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in honor of the sacrifices of the wounded of the Palestinian revolution and the Palestinian people throughout their long struggle for freedom and independence.
This year’s commemoration comes amid an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe experienced by the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip. The ongoing Israeli aggression has left more than 171,826 wounded, representing more than 7% of the population of Gaza, creating a humanitarian and health reality that exceeds the capacity of any healthcare system in the world. In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Palestinian wounded individuals also face harsh conditions amid escalating military raids and serious violations against civilians.
According to health and field data, the ongoing war of genocide against Gaza Strip has left tens of thousands of wounded people living in a devastated health environment as a result of the systematic targeting of the healthcare system and the siege imposed on the territory. Human rights organizations have documented more than 15,000 cases of amputations, the vast majority among children and women, due to severe injuries and the lack of medical capabilities, alongside the near-total absence of rehabilitation centers and prosthetic services.
The occupation also continues to use the denial of medical treatment as a tool of pressure by closing border crossings and preventing thousands of wounded individuals from traveling abroad for specialized treatment. More than 12,000 wounded persons urgently require travel to save their lives or prevent worsening disabilities, yet only a very small percentage—not exceeding 1%—are permitted to leave, effectively turning border crossings into what resembles death traps.
Furthermore, the targeting of 33 hospitals and 150 health centers has led to the near-total collapse of the healthcare system. Medical teams have been forced to perform complex surgical operations under primitive conditions, often without sufficient anesthesia, sterilization equipment, or antibiotics, resulting in the deaths of many wounded individuals due to bacterial infections and contaminated wounds.
In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, this occasion coincides with escalating military incursions, where Israeli forces have adopted a policy of shooting with the intent to maim, targeting the limbs and joints of Palestinian youth. These practices are accompanied by continued cases of field executions of the wounded and their abduction from ambulances and hospitals, in a blatant violation of the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention, particularly Articles 16, 17, and 18, which guarantee the protection of the wounded, the sick, and medical facilities.
While the International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights (ICSPR ) honors the Palestinian wounded, it affirms that the targeting of wounded individuals and hospitals constitutes a war crime and a serious violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights standards. Accordingly, it calls on the international community to exert immediate pressure to open the crossings of the Gaza Strip, particularly the Rafah Border Crossing, to ensure that thousands of wounded people can travel to receive specialized treatment and to guarantee the flow of medical supplies, equipment, and prosthetic limbs.
The organization also calls upon both the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization to play a more effective role in protecting the wounded and ensuring medical evacuation for critical cases, as well as to work toward establishing a safe and sustainable humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of wounded and sick individuals. This should be accompanied by the launch of urgent programs for their physical and psychological rehabilitation, and the development of national legislation that guarantees their economic and social rights and a dignified life.
The Palestinian wounded in Gaza Strip and the West Bank are not merely numbers in humanitarian reports; they are living testimony to the scale of human suffering and the gravity of the violations committed against civilians by the Israeli occupation. This reality requires urgent international action to save the lives of thousands of wounded and sick individuals and to ensure their right to treatment and healthcare in accordance with the rules of international humanitarian law.
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