Gaza is on the edge of a catastrophic health collapse, with the blockade imposed by Israeli forces pushing the territory’s hospitals to breaking point. As access to essential medical supplies and fuel is systematically denied, the wounded, the chronically ill, and the most vulnerable—especially children—are paying the ultimate price.

Since early March, Israel’s total closure of all crossings has halted the flow of life-saving humanitarian aid. Vital medications for cancer, kidney failure, and heart disease are no longer available, while fuel shortages threaten to shut down the last remaining generators powering intensive care units and neonatal wards. Health workers, already overwhelmed and under-equipped, now face the impossible task of saving lives without the tools or medicines to do so.

The destruction of key medical infrastructure, including diagnostic equipment, has left doctors unable to perform critical surgeries or even basic diagnoses. At the same time, the Israeli ban on childhood vaccines has raised fears of disease outbreaks that could devastate a malnourished and traumatised generation.

Some 13,000 patients—many in urgent need of treatment abroad—remain trapped in Gaza, unable to leave after the closure of Rafah crossing. For many, this represents a death sentence. The Ministry of Health in Gaza has called upon international institutions to act immediately, stressing that this is not only a health emergency but a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.

As the bombardment resumed on 18 March, following a fragile ceasefire, Gaza’s suffering has intensified. Yet the silence from world powers remains deafening. In a besieged land where survival now hinges on global solidarity, the question is no longer what is happening—but how long the world will allow it to continue.