Hospitals across Gaza are warning of a catastrophic shortage of blood supplies, with medical staff saying more than 350 units are needed every day to treat the rising number of wounded and critically ill patients. The crisis, fuelled by relentless bombardment and a suffocating blockade, has left doctors struggling to carry out urgent surgeries and life-saving transfusions.

Health officials say blood banks are on the verge of collapse, with dwindling stocks of blood and its components placing dozens of lives in immediate danger. The situation is compounded by widespread famine and malnutrition, which have sharply reduced community blood donations and further strained already overwhelmed hospitals.

Medical facilities remain overcrowded and under siege, with shortages in medicines, equipment and basic supplies pushing the health system closer to total breakdown. In an urgent appeal, Gaza’s Ministry of Health has called on international bodies and humanitarian organisations to intervene and replenish blood stocks, warning that without swift action, countless patients will be left without the care they desperately need.