Gaza now records the highest rate of child amputations in the world, a grim reflection of the scale of devastation left by the ongoing genocidal war. The territory’s healthcare system has been shattered, with medical facilities reduced to rubble, staff overwhelmed, and thousands of children permanently disabled.

According to a new joint report by local and regional institutions, more than 170,000 people have been injured since the beginning of the war, and at least a quarter will need medium- or long-term rehabilitation. Rehabilitation services, once limited, have now all but collapsed. Only eight specialists in prosthetics and orthotics remain in Gaza, struggling to meet the immense demand. More than two-thirds of facilities offering physical rehabilitation have been destroyed or forced to close.

The report underscores that Gaza’s medical crisis is not only a matter of destroyed infrastructure but of systematic paralysis. Years of blockade had already weakened the health system, and the war has now stripped it of any capacity to provide essential care. The result is a generation of wounded children growing up with lifelong disabilities, without access to proper treatment or mobility support.

In response, Palestinian institutions and health authorities have launched a national initiative to rebuild rehabilitation services. The plan focuses on providing prosthetic limbs for children, restoring local centres, and mobilising international aid for long-term recovery. Despite immense challenges, Gaza’s medical teams continue to work under extreme conditions, embodying resilience in the face of destruction and an unrelenting humanitarian crisis.