Israel's Continued Blockade on Medical Supplies Worsening 'Destruction' of Gaza's Health System

With the Israeli military having violated its "ceasefire" agreement with Hamas at least 875 times since it was finalized in October, and aid groups warning that everyone in Gaza remains at risk of starvation, the exclave's healthcare system desperately needs to treat people impacted by the ongoing humanitarian disaster—but medical experts there warn Israel's blockade has left many hospitals barely functioning.

On Tuesday, the director-general of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, Munir al-Barsh, told Al Jazeera that the healthcare system is suffering from "widespread shortages of medicines and medical supplies, particularly surgical consumables needed to perform operations."

The situation is "tragic and horrific," al-Barsh told the outlet.

After Israeli attacks on nearly all of Gaza's healthcare facilities during the war, 34 hospitals and 125 other health centers have been badly damaged. The health system has lost about 1,700 medical professionals who were killed by the Israel Defense Forces, and at least 80 doctors and other providers have been detained by Israel since 2023.

About 70% of the aid trucks that Israel has allowed into Gaza since October have carried food; the other 30% have brought in a variety of medical equipment, shelter supplies, tents, clothings, and other items. Israel is failing to allow in the agreed-upon number of medical aid trucks, Al Jazeera reported.

Earlier this month, al-Barsh told Al Jazeera that the medical supplies allowed in remain limited, with "antibiotics, IV solutions, and surgical materials" banned.

“We are facing a situation in which 54% of essential medicines are unavailable, and 40% of the drugs for surgeries and emergency care—the very medications we rely on to treat the wounded—are missing,” al-Barsh said.

Dr. Alaa Helles, director of pharmaceutical care at the Ministry of Health, also said Sunday that 52% of medications on an "essential list" were "zero stock."

On Tuesday, al-Barsh added that three-quarters of the total supplies needed in hospitals are unavailable, while power outages and shortages of generators are making it nearly impossible for healthcare workers to help critically injured and ill people.

He said Israel must open border crossings both to allow more supplies in and to permit the transport of thousands of people who are on long waiting lists to receive treatment outside of Gaza.

Nearly 20,000 Palestinians in Gaza are on the lists, including 18,500 who have received approval from the World Health Organization but have yet to be referred by Israeli authorities for security approval. About 3,700 of those on waiting lists are in critical condition and about 4,300 are children, Al Jazeera reported.

Al-Barsh told the outlet that at least 1,156 patients have died while waiting for security clearance from Israel.

The director-general's comments came a day after the United Nations issued a similar warning about the thousands of people waiting for treatment outside of Gaza and the "destruction of health infrastructure" in the exclave.

"My daughter is ill and suffers from kidney failure," a mother named Balqees Abu Ajwa told the UN News Center. "The crossings are closed and medical supplies are scarce. The medical equipment that could help my daughter stay alive is not available. My daughter has been in this condition for 20 days. She is exhausted."