Hospitals across the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions as essential medical supplies and fuel fail to reach facilities overwhelmed by casualties from ongoing Israeli airstrikes. Medical staff report working in near-darkness with rapidly diminishing resources as the healthcare system teeters on the brink of collapse.
Critical Supplies Blocked Despite Urgent Needs
The situation has become increasingly desperate at medical facilities throughout the territory. Doctors at al-Shifa hospital, Gaza's largest medical complex, describe operating rooms functioning with limited power and anaesthetics running dangerously low. The hospital's morgue has exceeded capacity, with bodies wrapped in plastic and stored on floors as refrigeration units fail without consistent electricity.
Medical personnel highlight the particular crisis facing neonatal units, where premature babies struggle to survive without functioning incubators and oxygen supplies. "We're watching children die from preventable causes," one doctor reported anonymously, fearing reprisal. "Without immediate intervention, the death toll will skyrocket from medical collapse alone."
Humanitarian Access Completely Severed
International aid organisations confirm that their ability to deliver life-saving supplies has been severely restricted. Despite coordinated efforts to establish humanitarian corridors, multiple aid convoys have been turned back or faced extensive delays at checkpoints. The United Nations reports that less than 10% of required medical supplies have reached hospitals in northern Gaza over the past week.
The World Health Organization has issued multiple warnings about the imminent collapse of Gaza's healthcare system. Their latest situation report describes medical staff performing emergency procedures without adequate sterilisation and reusing single-use equipment out of necessity. The lack of clean water and sanitation facilities has created additional infection risks that medical professionals cannot adequately address.
International Response and Mounting Casualties
Diplomatic efforts to establish a lasting ceasefire have repeatedly failed as airstrikes continue to target various locations across Gaza. Health officials in the territory report that over 300 new casualties reached hospitals in the last 24-hour period alone, further straining already overwhelmed facilities.
International humanitarian law explicitly protects medical facilities and personnel during conflicts, but multiple healthcare structures have sustained damage in recent strikes. The International Committee of the Red Cross has called for immediate protection of medical missions and guaranteed safe passage for humanitarian supplies. "When hospitals cannot function, the most vulnerable pay the highest price," their statement emphasised.
As the situation deteriorates, medical staff continue working under extreme duress, making impossible triage decisions with limited resources. The coming days will prove critical for Gaza's healthcare system, with international organisations warning of complete collapse without immediate intervention.
