Medical personnel in Gaza have increasingly become victims amid ongoing hostilities, raising serious concerns over the deliberate undermining of the territory’s healthcare system and the heightened risks posed to millions of civilians.

Since October 2023, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that over 1,600 doctors, nurses, and paramedics have been killed. More than 360 remain detained without due process, with human rights groups describing their treatment as harsh and inhumane.

Several notable figures have been directly targeted. Rajab Abu Al-Anein, head nurse at Nasser Medical Complex, was killed alongside his daughter when their shelter was bombed in Khan Younis. Dr Marwan Al-Hums, a director of field hospitals, was detained in a coordinated raid in July. Dr Marwan Sultan, a leading cardiologist and hospital director, was killed in an airstrike on his home.

Eyewitnesses and rights groups report that 15 paramedics and civilians, including members of the Red Crescent, were bound and executed in Rafah in March 2025.

Physicians for Human Rights has documented over 300 healthcare workers detained during hospital raids, many abducted from emergency and surgical wards. Survivors recount systematic torture, denial of legal rights, and inhumane treatment, violations that constitute serious breaches of international humanitarian law.

The World Health Organization warns that Gaza’s medical infrastructure is on the brink of collapse, with severe shortages of staff and critical supplies. Thousands of patients requiring urgent or chronic care face near-total denial of services.

International bodies including WHO and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have condemned these actions, calling for the immediate release of detained medical personnel and independent investigations into the alleged abuses.