Gaza’s Health Ministry releases shocking death toll two years after Israeli genocidal war
GAZA, Oct. 07 (YPA) – The Gaza-based Ministry of Health issued an urgent appeal on Tuesday to save what remains of the health services system in the Strip, for two years form the Israeli genocidal war.
In a statement, it warned of a total and deliberate collapse of the health sector, which it described as the “pillar of human existence” in Gaza.
The ministry emphasized that what is happening in the Gaza Strip has gone beyond the definition of a humanitarian crisis, noting that the health system is being subjected to “health genocide” as a result of the systematic destruction of the infrastructure of hospitals and medical centers. Most facilities have been reduced to concrete structures devoid of diagnostic and therapeutic care.
The statement stated that the total number of martyrs and wounded over the past two years has reached 67,173 and 169,780 wounded, including 20,179 children, 10,427 women, 4,813 elderly people, and 31,754 men.
Additionally, it also documented the martyrdom of 1,701 medical personnel and the arrest of 362 health workers under conditions of arbitrary detention and deprivation of their human rights, noting that 25 of 38 hospitals are out of service, 13 hospitals are operating partially and under extremely difficult conditions, while 103 of 157 primary healthcare centers are being destroyed, with working only 54 partially operational centers.
The statement clarified that the interruption of regular medical supplies and the obstruction of their safe access have exacerbated the shortage of medicines and medical supplies, with 55% of all medicines lack of stock, 66% of medical supplies shortage of stock, and 68% of laboratory supplies running out of stock.
It reported that the bed occupancy rate in hospitals reached 225% by the end of September, compared to 82% during the same period last year, a rate it described as “catastrophic” given the significant increase in the number of injuries and critical cases.
The statement noted that the direct targeting of health facilities resulted in the destruction of 25 of the 35 oxygen plants and 61 of the 110 electrical generators, crippling hospitals’ ability to operate amid the ongoing power outages.
It also warned of worsening levels of famine in the Strip, noting that 460 deaths due to starvation and malnutrition have been recorded, including 154 children, while 51,196 children under the age of five suffer from severe malnutrition.
The ministry’s statement noted that overcrowding in forced assembly areas has led to the spread of disease, a shortage of potable water, and a lack of food. It warned that childhood vaccination coverage has dropped to 80% due to the ban on vaccine imports and the suspension of the fourth phase of preventive vaccination against polio.
According to the statement, 4,900 amputation and disability cases require assistive devices and long-term rehabilitation programs, while the closure of the crossings has prevented 18,000 patients from traveling abroad for treatment, including 5,580 children.
It affirmed that medical personnel in Gaza City continue to perform their humanitarian and national duties despite the immediate risks threatening their safety and the safety of patients.
The statement appealed to international and humanitarian agencies to intervene immediately, ensure the delivery of medical supplies and the continuation of essential services, and hold Israel accountable for its systematic undermining of the health care system in the Gaza Strip, calling for the protection of patients’ medical rights and the safety of medical and emergency teams.
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