As regional tensions intensify following joint American and Israeli strikes on Iran, Gaza’s already devastated healthcare system is facing renewed pressure. In the narrow streets of the enclave, families continue to navigate rubble and damaged buildings during Ramadan, gathering for modest iftar meals provided by community kitchens. Yet behind these scenes of resilience, hospitals across the territory are struggling to remain operational after years of destruction and blockade.
The humanitarian crisis inside Gaza has been shaped by two years of genocidal war that has left tens of thousands dead and many more wounded. Medical facilities that once served the population have been steadily reduced in number and capacity. Nearly half of the enclave’s hospitals are no longer functioning, while those still open operate with dwindling supplies. Essential medicines, trauma equipment and surgical materials have run dangerously low, leaving doctors to make increasingly difficult decisions about which patients can be treated.
Fuel shortages have become one of the most immediate threats to healthcare. Hospitals rely almost entirely on generators to power operating theatres, intensive care units and neonatal wards. With fuel deliveries restricted, staff warn that even the few facilities still functioning could grind to a halt. At the same time, civilians continue to suffer injuries as violence persists, adding to the burden on medical teams already stretched beyond their limits.
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The closure of key crossings has further deepened the crisis. Patients who once depended on medical transfers abroad for specialised surgery or cancer treatment are now effectively trapped inside the territory. Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings, which previously served as rare exit routes for the critically ill, have remained largely closed since the escalation of regional military operations. For many patients awaiting urgent care, the possibility of leaving Gaza for treatment has vanished.
Beyond the immediate injuries of the genocidal war, health officials also warn of broader public health risks. Diseases such as polio remain a looming threat despite recent vaccination campaigns, while shortages of medicine and sanitation supplies continue to undermine prevention efforts. Humanitarian organisations are still attempting to maintain emergency medical services, focusing on trauma care, maternal health and infectious disease monitoring, but their work is constrained by limited resources and severe funding gaps.
Inside Gaza’s hospitals, the consequences of these shortages are visible in crowded corridors and silent operating rooms. Doctors and nurses continue working under extraordinary pressure, aware that their ability to save lives depends on supplies that may or may not arrive. For patients waiting for surgery, medication or evacuation, the future has narrowed to the fragile capacity of a medical system struggling to survive amid a widening regional genocidal war.
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