Published On 10/6/2026
The health system in the Gaza Strip is facing a worsening humanitarian catastrophe as the siege continues to tighten and the crossings are closed, depriving thousands of sick and wounded of their right to travel to receive treatment abroad.
The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip sounded the alarm again, stressing that the Israeli restrictions imposed on travel and the flow of medicines and medical supplies were now condemning those in critical condition to slow death.
In a report prepared by Ghazi Al-Aloul for Al-Jazeera, the deaf numbers in the corridors of Gaza’s hospitals turn into heart-breaking human stories. The little girl, “Zumrud,” calls out to her father, who is lying on the recovery bed, “Answer me, Baba,” but the father has not moved a muscle for a year and a half.
Nael, who suffered a severe brain injury that left him bedridden, received a medical referral for treatment outside the Gaza Strip, but his wait was long in vain in light of the closure of the crossings.
One of the patient’s companions in the hospital said: “Nael’s condition is very dangerous due to a severe brain injury about 18 months ago. We appeal to all living consciences to help these patients and enable them to travel to receive treatment before it is too late.”
Nael is only an example of thousands of cases. In the courtyard of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the young man Hamada sits in his wheelchair, carrying his medical papers and approved documents. About two years ago, he suffered a severe spinal injury that left him partially paralyzed in his lower limbs.
In a tone filled with both oppression and hope, Hamada speaks, saying: “I want to be treated. I have the right to be treated. I want to walk on my feet again and return to my normal life. I am not asking for anything big, but I want to go back to walking.”
Numbers sound the alarm
In a press conference held by officials of the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip in front of the rubble of buildings surrounding the Shifa Medical Complex, the Ministry revealed shocking statistics that reflect the scale of the medical disaster that the Strip is experiencing.
In this context, Dr. Muhammad Zaqout, Director General of Hospitals in Gaza, confirmed that the number of wounded and patients who are in urgent and actual need to travel outside the Strip has reached 17,730 medical referrals.
Zaqout explained in his statements the details of these numbers, saying that the most urgent cases exceeded 3,300 referrals that required immediate therapeutic intervention to save their lives.
As for the most serious diseases, they include cancer, incurable blood diseases, and children with severe injuries and deformities as a result of the bombing.
Israeli intransigence
The Director General of Hospitals accused the Israeli occupation authorities of deliberate and unjustified intransigence in dealing with the humanitarian medical file, stressing that the occupation follows a systematic policy to reduce the number of patients allowed to leave, in addition to reducing the days during which humanitarian cases are allowed to cross.
The suffering is not limited to the travel ban alone; Rather, Ministry of Health data indicate that the occupation continues to impose strict restrictions on the entry of medical shipments, specific medicines, and basic surgical supplies into the remaining hospitals operating in the Gaza Strip, which disrupts the conduct of major operations and puts many vital medical departments out of service.
According to what the report monitored, these sick and injured people are not only similar in the details of their pain and injuries, but they also share the same long and exhausting queues waiting for the unknown behind closed crossings, hoping that an energy of relief will be opened to them that will give them again the opportunity to heal, recover and return to life.
