The healthcare system in Gaza has reached a breaking point, with thousands of patients, including children, facing life-threatening conditions due to severe shortages of medicine and medical supplies. Over 18,000 children have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict since October 2023, and 40% of those awaiting urgent medical evacuation are under the age of 12. Chronic illnesses, cancer, and war injuries have left many in desperate need of treatment, yet access to care remains severely restricted.  

Despite a ceasefire agreement that promised to allow 150-200 patients to leave Gaza daily for treatment, only a fraction of this number—30 to 35—are permitted to travel, with 10% often turned back at the last moment. This has left thousands, including critically ill children, stranded in Gaza without access to lifesaving care. Many who do manage to leave face further delays, as dozens remain stuck in hospitals outside Gaza, unable to receive the urgent interventions they need.  

The shortages within Gaza’s hospitals are staggering, with 65% of essential medicines and 50% of medical supplies completely unavailable. Hospitals lack basic imaging equipment like CT scanners and MRI machines, and only one cardiac catheterization machine remains operational, reserved for emergencies. The ambulance fleet has been reduced to 20% of its capacity, with replacement vehicles failing to meet necessary standards. These conditions have rendered the healthcare system unable to cope with both war casualties and everyday medical needs.  

Rebuilding Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure requires immediate access to construction materials, medical equipment, and essential supplies. However, restrictions on imports have hindered reconstruction efforts, leaving hospitals in ruins and patients without hope. The situation underscores a deepening humanitarian crisis, where the most vulnerable—children and the critically ill—bear the heaviest burden of a system pushed to the brink of collapse.