On the Occasion of World Health Day The International Community Must Act to Prevent the Collapse of the Health Sector in the Gaza Strip and Stop the Targeting of Medical Staff and Facilities

Date: 4 Apr 2025

Press Release
On the Occasion of World Health Day

The International Community Must Act to Prevent the Collapse of the Health Sector in the Gaza Strip and Stop the Targeting of Medical Staff and Facilities

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) notes that tomorrow, Monday, April 7, 2025, marks World Health Day, commemorating the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948.

This occasion comes amid the ongoing genocide and Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip for the second consecutive year, in the context of the near-total collapse of the healthcare system and the inability to provide medical services to patients and the wounded. This is due to the deliberate targeting of the health sector, destruction of hospitals and health centers, and attacks on medical staff—exacerbated by the continued Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, the ongoing closure of crossings, and the prevention of the entry of humanitarian aid, medicines, and medical supplies for the 36th consecutive day. Additionally, 13,000 patients and wounded persons are being denied their right to travel abroad for medical treatment.

ICSPR states that the genocide and continuous Israeli aggression for the 18th month has resulted in the destruction of 34 out of 36 operational hospitals in Gaza, 80 health centers, and 130 ambulances, rendering them out of service. More than 1,400 medical personnel have been killed, hundreds injured, and approximately 360 medical workers detained, some of whom were killed in Israeli prisons due to torture and medical neglect, including Dr. Mohammad Al-Bardawil and Dr. Adnan Al-Borsh. The fate of many others remains unknown due to Israel’s policy of enforced disappearance against detainees from Gaza. Testimonies from released prisoners and lawyers who visited some detainees indicate they were subjected to the most severe forms of torture and abuse, including Dr. Ahmad Mehanna, Director of Al-Awda Hospital, and Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital.

ICSPR highlights that since the resumption of the genocide on March 18, 2025, Israeli crimes against hospitals and health workers have escalated. The emergency department of Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis was bombed, killing three wounded persons, injuring dozens, and taking the building out of service. All hospitals and health centers in Rafah and northern Gaza have been forced out of service due to ground invasions. Medical personnel and paramedics have also been targeted, as seen in the mass execution of nine paramedics from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, five civil defense members, and a UNRWA staff member in Tel Al-Sultan, Rafah. Despite coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross, their bodies were only recovered eight days after contact was lost. A video filmed by one of the paramedics documented the direct execution and subsequent burial to conceal the crime.

ICSPR adds that hospitals in Gaza are operating far beyond their capacity, with exhausted medical staff, a surge in the number of wounded and sick, and severe shortages of medicines, medical equipment, and fuel. Many hospital generators have shut down due to a complete blackout, forcing medical teams to resort to primitive methods, including performing amputations without anesthesia.

According to ICSPR, approximately 350,000 patients with chronic diseases in Gaza are deprived of proper treatment. These include around 71,000 people with diabetes, 225,000 with hypertension, 45,000 with cardiovascular diseases, 14,000 kidney failure patients, and over 10,000 cancer patients who have lost access to care following the destruction of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only specialized cancer facility. Thousands have reportedly died due to the lack of medicine and health services. Meanwhile, 13,000 patients and wounded, including 5,000 children, are at risk due to Israeli obstruction of medical evacuations abroad.

ICSPR warns of the accelerating spread of famine and malnutrition-related diseases across the Gaza Strip. Hunger looms over various areas as diseases and epidemics spread due to Israel’s use of starvation and thirst as weapons. Israel has cut off electricity, destroyed water wells and desalination plants, and completely blocked humanitarian and medical aid from entering the Strip for 36 consecutive days. This is enforced by a decision of the Israeli government and a discriminatory ruling by the Israeli High Court of Justice. As a result, Gaza’s population faces starvation, dehydration, disease, and the return of polio, amid Israel’s refusal to allow vaccines, medications, and medical supplies to enter.

ICSPR highlights that pregnant women and newborns face life-threatening conditions due to widespread malnutrition. Statistics indicate that 1 in 5 babies born since the latest aid blockade on March 2 requires advanced medical care that is rapidly dwindling. Between 10% and 20% of all pregnant women in Gaza are malnourished, according to recent nutrition assessments. The women’s and maternity departments face severe shortages of three essential maternal health medications: labor-inducing drugs, blood plasma for hemorrhaging women, and medications to treat preeclampsia—all critical for preventing maternal death and complications. The lack of essential nutritional supplements has also increased birth defects, anemia, and pregnancy complications, in addition to the rising rates of miscarriages and infant deaths due to Israeli attacks, disease, and hunger.

ICSPR also cites WHO reports indicating alarming levels of psychological trauma, stress, and mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and aggression—affecting over two-thirds of the population, particularly children, with long-term consequences in the absence of healthcare and humanitarian services.

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) salutes the relentless efforts of medical, technical, and administrative teams in the Ministry of Health and all humanitarian workers operating under extremely harsh conditions to aid the wounded and provide health services. It warns of the continued genocide and Israeli aggression, the accompanying collective punishment, restrictions on the entry of field hospitals, doctors, medications, and medical equipment, and the evacuation of patients and the wounded. ICSPR denounces the shameful international inaction in stopping Israeli crimes against civilians and the health sector. While reaffirming the moral, legal, and humanitarian responsibility of the international community and international organizations to protect civilians, especially those working in the humanitarian and health sectors, and to ensure Palestinians’ right to healthcare, ICSPR records and demands the following:

• ICSPR calls on the international community and the United Nations to act immediately to stop the genocide and Israeli aggression on Gaza, ensure the flow of humanitarian, relief, and medical aid, and provide all the necessities to sustain the health sector—including allowing in doctors, field hospitals, and international protection for health facilities and medical personnel.

• ICSPR urges the international community to take urgent measures to ensure that Israel complies with its legal obligations by promoting and protecting the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health for the Palestinian population under its control.

• ICSPR calls on the international community to increase funding for the health sector and cover the shortages of medicines, medical equipment, and fuel needed to operate hospital generators amid power outages.

• ICSPR urges the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open investigations into Israeli crimes against the health sector and hold Israeli leaders accountable for crimes against civilians and medical personnel. ICSPR also calls on health ministries, doctors’ unions, and medical associations worldwide to actively condemn the genocide and strengthen solidarity with healthcare and humanitarian workers in Gaza.

End.