Over half of medications unavailable in Gaza because of Israeli blockade: Health Ministry
The director general of the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip says more than half of medicines in the war-ravaged coastal region are out of stock because of the Israeli regime’s genocidal war and siege, and 28% of diseases in the area are linked to contaminated water.
Munir al-Bursh said in a statement on Friday that the crisis is exacerbating as Israeli occupation forces continue to obstruct the arrival of medications, medical supplies, fuel, and oils essential for running power generators.
He noted that the ministry’s epidemiological surveillance information indicates that almost 28% of diseases spreading throughout the Gaza Strip are now associated with contaminated water.
Bursh stated that the combination of drinking water and wastewater from cesspits within displacement centers and shelters has resulted in the spread of diseases and epidemics among displaced Palestinians.
He cautioned that the deteriorating environmental and health situations are increasing the dangers facing residents’ lives, in light of the persistent water and sanitation crisis and the diminishing capacity of health facilities to address rising demands.
Concerning patients and those injured, Bursh revealed that over 1,500 individuals with authorized medical referrals have passed away while awaiting permission to exit Gaza for treatment.
He described their deaths as a “humanitarian disaster” that illustrates the extent of the crisis facing Gaza’s healthcare system.
Since 2007, Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip. Approximately 1.5 million Palestinians, out of an estimated 2.4 million residing in the territory, are currently homeless and living in dire conditions following the devastating war that ravaged their homes.
Notwithstanding a ceasefire that was implemented on October 10, 2025, the Israeli military has persisted in its daily assaults, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,214 Palestinians and injuring 3,977 more, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Since the onset of the Israeli genocidal war in October 2023, more than 73,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, and over 174,000 others have sustained injuries.
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