Health officials in Gaza warn that the medical system is edging toward complete failure, even after weeks without active bombardment in the ongoing genocidal war. Hospitals that once formed the backbone of care in the Strip are now paralysed by record shortages, leaving patients waiting for treatment that never comes. Medical teams describe heartbreaking scenes in emergency rooms where people die before they are examined, with supplies dwindling to their lowest levels in decades.

Staff say they can no longer perform routine procedures as the availability of basic medicines has almost entirely vanished. Shelves once stocked with essential drugs now sit nearly empty, with the majority of emergency treatments unavailable. The shortage of medical materials is just as severe: gauze, IV fluids, and laboratory chemicals have all but disappeared, and diagnostic services have halted due to fuel and communication failures. Doctors report that the handful of aid trucks allowed into Gaza each week barely make a dent in the mounting needs of thousands of wounded, chronically ill, and displaced patients.

The crisis has devastated specialised care. Oncology departments say that most cancer medications have run out, forcing patients to go without treatment for weeks. Orthopaedic units report losing nearly all surgical supplies, leaving the wounded with no option but to seek referral outside the Strip. Yet thousands remain trapped, unable to leave due to restrictions at the crossing, while infants and children suffer severe health consequences from malnutrition, including extremely high rates of anaemia. The medical workforce warns that without immediate entry of equipment, medicine, and fuel, Gaza’s hospitals will face a total breakdown that could cost many more lives.