The ongoing war in Gaza has spared no one from suffering, leaving stories of pain, loss, and the collapse of basic living conditions. Thousands of injured and ill individuals are left languishing on waiting lists, their only hope being timely medical treatment to prevent complications that could lead to death, permanent disabilities, or incurable diseases. The dire situation is exacerbated by the collapse of the healthcare system and the closure of border crossings.

Treatment on Hold

Saleh Hamad, 39, from Al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City, was injured by shrapnel from an airstrike while staying in his tent in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

Doctors discovered that Hamad required multiple surgeries to his legs and abdomen due to extensive shrapnel wounds, which caused severe damage to his bones and tissues, leaving his left leg 12 centimeters shorter than his right. However, no surgeries could be performed due to a lack of resources. The wounds in his abdomen began to fester with infection and pus, requiring continuous cleaning and care in unsanitary, unhygienic conditions.

His brother Ahmed says: “Since my brother’s injury, we’ve been trying to secure a medical transfer abroad, but to no avail. It’s been over three months, and Israel’s complicated procedures have made this impossible. We’re losing hope for his recovery, but we’re doing everything we can to provide him with basic care.”

Similarly, three-month-old Yousef Diab, born with a congenital lung defect, urgently requires surgery unavailable in Gaza. His father Taysir explains: “My son was born with a hole in his lungs and needs immediate medical intervention abroad. We’ve been waiting for Israeli approval, but his health is deteriorating, and I fear losing him—he’s my first child.”

Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, head of medical transfers in Gaza, tells Daraj that injured and sick patients are at risk of death daily as they await approval to leave for treatment abroad. There are no resources or capabilities in Gaza, particularly for cancer patients, heart surgeries, and dialysis treatments. Since the closure of Rafah crossing, only 360 patients have been allowed through the Karam Abou Salem crossing, which is a negligible number given the massive need. Most cases approved are pediatric cancer patients and injured children.

The Crisis in Pediatric Care

Dr. Hani Al-Fleet, head of the pediatric department at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, describes the grim situation: “In our department, we have children requiring advanced treatment that was unavailable in Gaza even before this war.” He said that children face the biggest challenges in these situations, especially those born with congenital heart defects, for example: they used to be referred to hospitals in the West Bank due to a lack of specialists in the Strip. Now, due to the collapse of the health system, the remaining doctors work with what they have, but it’s not enough.

The Fourth Geneva Convention, under Articles 16-19, mandates full protection for patients, their safety, and safe medical transport. Hospitals must be treated as protected zones, immune to attacks or disruptions, as well as ambulances transporting patients and injured folk.

Numbers and Realities

According to statistics obtained by Daraj from the Palestinian Ministry of Health:105,000 injuries have been recorded since the war began, including 15,000 critical cases requiring long-term rehabilitation. Before the closure of Rafah, 2,023 injured individuals were able to travel for treatment; after the closure, only 182 have managed to leave—most of them children.

The statistics also indicate that the number of diabetes patients has reached 71,000, with a prevalence rate of 3.2 per 100 people, while hypertension patients number 105,000, with a prevalence rate of 4.8 per 100 people. Before the closure of the crossing, 6,075 patients were able to travel for treatment, compared to only 250 patients after its closure. Ministry data further reveals that a total of 25,000 requests have been submitted for treatment abroad, with 7,707 approved referrals—all of whom remain on the waiting list.

The World Health Organization (WHO), in its report “Estimating Rehabilitation Needs in Gaza Using Injury Data from Emergency Medical Teams”, states that severe injuries requiring ongoing rehabilitation are likely to constitute 25% of the total number of injuries, or at least 22,500 people. The primary need for rehabilitation arises from severe limb injuries, with an estimated range between 13,455 to 17,550 cases.

Rick Peeperkorn, the WHO representative in Gaza, stated in a press release that the surging demand for rehabilitation services is occurring while the healthcare system continues to be systematically destroyed.

Rights Taken Away by Force

Jamil Sarhan, director of the Independent Commission for Human Rights in Gaza, asserts that Israeli actions are “a deliberate colonial plan aimed at extermination.” He adds: “Since taking control of Rafah crossing, thousands of injured individuals with medical referrals have been denied exit, leading to preventable deaths. This is a blatant violation of human rights.”

Sarhan noted that the Independent Commission for Human Rights has documented several names listed for medical referrals who have now been added to the records of the deceased due to being denied travel for treatment—a blatant violation of human rights.

Sarhan emphasized that all measures taken by the Israeli military against civilians constitute violations of international laws and humanitarian principles. These laws ensure that wounded civilians in conflict zones have the right to receive adequate treatment without obstruction. He added: “The Israeli army is deliberately destroying the health system, bombing hospitals, storming medical facilities, and blocking the entry of medicine and supplies. Ambulance vehicles have also been targeted, all of which underscores the occupier’s intent to annihilate the population and leave generations burdened with chronic illnesses and amputated limbs.”

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor called on the international community to exert effective pressure on Israel to ensure the reopening of crossings and allow thousands of injured and sick individuals in Gaza to travel for treatment. This urgent action is necessary to save their lives, as many face certain death due to systematic attacks on the healthcare sector and the blockade, which has rendered most of Gaza’s health infrastructure inoperable.

Meanwhile, the International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (HICHR) warned of rising fatality rates among patients and the wounded as a result of the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare sector. The commission urged for: The provision of urgent medical treatment for patients and injured individuals. The entry of fuel needed to operate hospitals.

The commission underscored that the Israeli government is ignoring rulings by the International Court of Justice, the Geneva Conventions, and resolutions by the UN Security Council and General Assembly, all of which demand an end to the genocide.