Timeline Of The Gaza Strip Healthcare Collapse
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During the
Israel–Hamas war An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups has been taking place chiefly in and around the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023. On that day, Palestinian militant groups launched 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, a surp ...
, the healthcare system of Gaza was destroyed by Israeli attacks on hospitals and health facilities, killing of healthcare workers, and blockade of medical supplies from entering Gaza. The resulting collapse of the healthcare system was part of a broader humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip caused by the war. The hospitals faced a lack of fuel due to the Israeli siege and relied on backup generators for the first two weeks of the war. By 23 October, Gaza hospitals began shutting down as they ran out of fuel, starting with the
Indonesia Hospital Indonesia Hospital ( ar, المستشفى الإندونيسي, translit=al-Mustashfá al-Indūnīsī, id, Rumah Sakit Indonesia) was a hospital located in Bait Lahia, North Gaza Governorate, Gaza Strip, Palestine. Facilities The hospital ha ...
. When hospitals lost power completely, multiple premature babies in NICUs died. Numerous medical staffers were killed, and ambulances, health institutions, medical headquarters, and multiple hospitals were destroyed. * * * * * * * The Medecins Sans Frontieres said scores of ambulances and medical facilities were damaged or destroyed. By late-October, the
Gaza Health Ministry The Gaza Health Ministry is the government agency responsible for healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip of the Palestinian territories. It operates under the administration of the Hamas authority that has run the territory since 200 ...
stated the healthcare system had "totally collapsed", while on January 13 out of Gaza's 36 hospitals reportedly remained partially functional.


October 2023


12 October

* Following the shutdown of the Gaza Strip power station the previous day, it was reported that hospitals in Gaza would soon run out of available fuel to power generators.


14 October

* Two upper floors of the Diagnostic Cancer Treatment Centre of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital was severely damaged by Israeli rocket fire. * Red Crescent ambulances in Gaza were struck by the IAF.


15 October

* WHO stated four hospitals were no longer functioning after being targeted by Israeli airstrikes. * Healthcare professionals were reportedly worried that if hospital facilities' generators stopped, patients would die when the power was lost.Jobain, Najib; Kullab, Samya (15 October 2023)
"UN shelters in besieged Gaza run out of water as Israeli ground offensive looms"
. ''
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
''. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
* WHO described Israel's evacuation order as a "death sentence" for the sick and wounded. * Doctors across northern Gaza stated they were unable to follow Israel's evacuation order, since their patients, including newborns in the ICU, would die.


16 October

* Doctors Without Borders president
Christos Christou Christos Christou M.D. is the international president of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Christou is from Greece where he studied medicine before working as a doctor in the UK. He joined MSF and worked as a surgeon in Cameroon, Iraq, and South ...
wrote that the situation in Gaza was "horrific and catastrophic… No electricity, no medical supplies. Surgeons in Al-Shifa hospital are now operating without painkillers." **Doctors warned of an impending disease outbreak due to hospital overcrowding and unburied bodies. The same day, the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
stated there were only "24 hours of water, electricity and fuel left" before "a real catastrophe."


17 October

* A widely condemned explosion in the al-Ahli courtyard resulted in significant fatalities.


18 October

* Doctors Without Borders stated severely wounded patients would die as the health system collapsed. *The United States vetoed a UN resolution urging humanitarian aid to Gaza. *The World Health Organization stated the situation in Gaza was "spiralling out of control."


19 October

* The Ministry of Health asked for donations of liters of fuels to continue powering hospital generators. * Gaza's only cancer hospital announced it had "perilously low" levels of remaining fuel. * Doctors stated pediatric patients had developed
gastroenteritis Gastroenteritis, also known as infectious diarrhea and gastro, is an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract including the stomach and intestine. Symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Fever, lack of energy, and dehydra ...
infections due to the lack of clean water.Talwar Badam, Ramola (19 October 2023)
"Doctors warn of 'catastrophic' conditions in Gaza hospitals as medical supplies dwindle"
. ''The National''. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
* Airstrikes hit the area around al-Quds Hospital. * The
Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
stated Gaza's entire health system was "on its knees".


20 October

* Doctors Without Borders stated thousands of people were at risk of dying "within hours" because it was "impossible" to give them medical attention."Wounded in northern Gaza risk dying 'in hours': MSF"
.
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
* Doctors at
al-Quds Hospital The Al-Quds Hospital is a hospital located in the Tel al-Hawa area of Gaza City, in the Palestinian territories. It is the second largest hospital in Gaza. History The hospital was damaged by Israeli forces in 2009, during the Gaza war of 200 ...
and the Palestine Red Crescent reported they received a call from the Israeli army to evacuate the hospital or "bear the consequences".


21 October

* Medical Aid for Palestinians and
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
issued an "urgent warning" that 130 premature babies would die if fuel did not reach Gaza hospitals soon.


22 October

* The
UN Population Fund The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies ...
stated there were 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza. * A UN statement signed by
UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
,
UNFPA The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies ...
,
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
, WFP and WHO stated deaths could soon "skyrocket" from disease and "lack of healthcare". *UNRWA announced it would run out of fuel within three days, resulting in "no water, no functioning hospitals and bakeries".


23 October

* On 23 October, the
Indonesia Hospital Indonesia Hospital ( ar, المستشفى الإندونيسي, translit=al-Mustashfá al-Indūnīsī, id, Rumah Sakit Indonesia) was a hospital located in Bait Lahia, North Gaza Governorate, Gaza Strip, Palestine. Facilities The hospital ha ...
ran out of fuel and completely lost power. * A Health Ministry spokesman announced the healthcare system had "totally collapsed", with 65 medics killed, 25 ambulances destroyed, and many hospitals soon shutting down due to lack of fuel. * The World Health Organization warned 46 of Gaza's 72 healthcare facilities had stopped functioning.


25 October

* Dr. Ashraf al-Qudra, of the Health Ministry, stated the health system was "completely out of service". * The Health Ministry stated a total of 7,000 sick and wounded hospital patients were facing death. * The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital faced a
dialysis Dialysis may refer to: *Dialysis (chemistry), a process of separating molecules in solution **Electrodialysis, used to transport salt ions from one solution to another through an ion-exchange membrane under the influence of an applied electric pote ...
crisis, with hundreds sharing only 24 dialysis machines.


27 October

* A
Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
medical team arrived in Gaza, bringing medical supplies, a war surgery team, and a weapons contamination specialist. * The Al Nasser Hospital in
Khan Younis Khan Yunis ( ar, خان يونس, also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus; translation: ''Caravansary fJonah'') is a city in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Khan Yunis had a population of 142,63 ...
received a delivery of medical supplies, including antiseptic, injections, and medical mattresses, raising hopes more could be received "in the coming days".


28 October

* A
communications blackout In telecommunications, communications blackouts are * a cessation of communications or communications capability, caused by a lack of power to a communications facility or to communications equipment. * a total lack of radio communications capab ...
meant wounded civilians could not dial emergency services. Ambulances were evenly geographically distributed to provide "faster access to the injured."


29 October

* The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that it had received warnings from Israeli authorities to immediately evacuate
al-Quds hospital The Al-Quds Hospital is a hospital located in the Tel al-Hawa area of Gaza City, in the Palestinian territories. It is the second largest hospital in Gaza. History The hospital was damaged by Israeli forces in 2009, during the Gaza war of 200 ...
as it was “going to be bombarded”. * An Israeli airstrike struck 20 metres (65 feet) from al-Quds hospital. * Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta wrote on X that he was increasingly treating patients with "distinctive phosphorus burns."


30 October

* The Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital was severely damaged by an Israeli airstrike. * WHO announced it could no longer resupply al-Shifa and al-Quds hospitals due to the high levels of risk.


31 October

* The Health Ministry announced the generators at two key Gaza hospitals were hours from shutting down.


November 2023


1 November

* The director of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital stated Gaza's only cancer hospital was "completely out of service" after it ran out of fuel to power its generator. * The Gaza Health Ministry stated the maternity ward at the Al-Helou International Hospital was hit by an Israeli bombardment.


2 November

* The
Indonesia Hospital Indonesia Hospital ( ar, المستشفى الإندونيسي, translit=al-Mustashfá al-Indūnīsī, id, Rumah Sakit Indonesia) was a hospital located in Bait Lahia, North Gaza Governorate, Gaza Strip, Palestine. Facilities The hospital ha ...
announced its main generator was no longer operational.


3 November

* The Health Ministry stated 12 cancer patients had died after the Turkish Hospital shut down. * The Ministry stated 800 critically wounded patients needed to leave Gaza to receive care, stating many critically wounded patients had died in the past several days due to the collapsed healthcare system. * A medical convoy in front of al-Shifa hospital was destroyed by an Israeli drone missile. * Al-Quds and Indonesia Hospital were both hit by airstrikes.


4 November

* The generators at Kamal Adwan Hospital shut down. * The entrance of the al-Nasser Children's Hospital was hit by an Israeli strike. *
Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
president
Mirjana Spoljaric Egger Mirjana Spoljaric Egger is a Swiss diplomat. Since October 2022, she has served as the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Life and work Egger studied philosophy, economics and international law at the University of Basel ...
visited the Gaza Strip, stating, "The things I saw there are beyond anything that anyone should be in a position to describe."


5 November

* The Gaza health system was failing as a result of the Israeli blockade. * Nearly half of all hospitals were out of service due to shortages of fuel and power, and
amputation Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indi ...
s and
C-sections Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or m ...
were performed without anesthetic due to shortages of medical supplies.


6 November

* Israel bombed al-Shifa hospital's
solar panel A solar cell panel, solar electric panel, photo-voltaic (PV) module, PV panel or solar panel is an assembly of photovoltaic solar cells mounted in a (usually rectangular) frame, and a neatly organised collection of PV panels is called a photo ...
s.


8 November

* Italy announced it was sending a hospital ship to the coast of Gaza. * Al-Quds Hospital stated Israel had destroyed all roads leading to the hospital. * Al-Quds completely ran out of fuel and shut down most services.


9 November

* On 9 November, the Gaza government media office stated Israel had bombed eight hospitals in the past three days. * Health Minister
Fahrettin Koca Fahrettin Koca (born 2 January 1965) is a Turkish physician and politician. He is the List of Ministers of Health of Turkey, minister of health of the Cabinet Erdoğan IV, 66th government of Turkey. Early life and education Fahrettin Koca was b ...
announced Turkey was prepared to receive Gaza's pediatric cancer patients.


10 November

* The International Red Cross stated Gaza's healthcare system had "reached a point of no return." * Israeli tanks surrounded four hospitals, al-Rantisi Hospital, al-Nasr Hospital, and the eye and mental health hospitals, from all directions. * The Nasser Rantissi paediatric cancer hospital caught on fire after being hit by an Israeli airstrike and began evacuations. * At least three hospitals were hit by Israeli airstrikes, resulting in multiple casualties. This led to the director of the Al-Shifa hospital to state, "Israel is now launching a war on Gaza City hospitals." * The Interior Ministry stated Al-Shifa Hospital was bombed five times in 24 hours. * The
Palestinian Red Crescent The Palestine Red Crescent Society ( ar, جمعية الهلال الأحمر الفلسطيني, PRCS) was founded in 1968, by Fathi Arafat, Yasser Arafat's brother. It is a humanitarian organization that is part of the International Red Cro ...
stated Israeli snipers opened fire on children at al-Quds hospital, killing one and wounding 28. * The Ministry of Health stated Israel cut off Indonesia Hospital's electricity, water, and communication.


11 November

* Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a British doctor in Gaza, stated the injured were no longer able to receive treatment for their wounds, as doctors were only able to stabilize patients. * Doctors Without Borders reported a "dramatic intensification" of Israeli attacks on Al-Shifa hospital. ** Al-Shifa lost power, staff were killed by snipers, and the hospital was shelled and caught fire. ** Families who tried to leave the hospital complex were shot and killed. ** Ashraf al-Qudra, a doctor at al-Shifa, stated the hospital was completely out of service, as the Israeli army shot "everything that moves." ** Physicians for Human Rights stated two premature babies had died at al-Shifa due to the lack of electricity. ** IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari stated the army would help evacuate babies from al-Shifa Hospital, but a Gaza Health Ministry spokesman stated Israel had not provided "any mechanism to get the babies out to a safer hospital." **
Robert Mardini Robert Mardini (born 1972) is Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Early life and education Mardini was born and raised in Tripoli, Lebanon. He was educated at the Lycée Français in Tripoli and at the Ecole ...
, director general of the Red Cross, described the situation at al-Shifa as "unbearably desperate." * The Palestinian Red Crescent reported intense shooting and dehydrated babies at al-Quds.


12 November

* The director general of al-Shifa stated the lives of 650 patients were in danger at al-Shifa Hospital due to the "catastrophic situation." ** The deputy health minister in Gaza stated Israel had destroyed al-Shifa's cardiac ward. ** The IDF released a video recording of soldiers leaving 300 liters of fuel outside Al-Shifa. *** The director of al-Shifa stated 300 liters would not power the hospital for even 30 minutes. *
Mai al-Kaila Mai Al-Kaila ( ar, مي الكيلة; born 8 April 1955) is a Palestinian doctor, diplomat and politician, and the first woman to hold the position of Health Minister of Palestine. She holds a PhD in public health and health administration. She ...
, the Palestinian Minister of Health, stated the Israeli army was not evacuating patients, but rather "forcibly evicting the wounded and patients onto the streets, leaving them to face inevitable death." * A surgeon at Al-Ahli hospital stated they had run out of blood for transfusions. * The Red Crescent stated al-Quds was completely out of service. * The director of the Nasr Hospital stated it had been evacuated under threat of Israeli weapons and tanks. * Two of Gaza's main hospitals, Al-Shifa and Al-Quds, closed down.


13 November

* Kamal Adwan Hospital ran out of fuel. * Doctors Without Borders released a statement describing the situation at Al-Shifa Hospital, stating they had no food, water, or electricity, and that there was a
sniper A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
attacking patients. The statement stated, "The situation is very bad, it is inhuman." * The al-Amal Hospital's only generator shut down. * Tom Potokar, chief surgeon with the Red Cross, described the situation in southern Gaza as "just relentless."


14 November

* Israeli tanks surrounded Al Helou Hospital in Gaza City, with the hospital director stating it was a " maternity hospital only.” * Israel launched a raid on al-Shifa Hospital, where thousands, including three dozen premature babies, were still sheltering. ** Doctors reported 40 patients at al-Shifa died. * Fighting near Al-Quds Hospital halted evacuation efforts.


15 November

* Israel raided the al-Shifa hospital. ** A journalist on the scene stated, it was "a nightmare that cannot be imagined," and that Israel had targeted the hospitals generators and communications unit, severing contact with the outside world. ** John Kirby, spokesperson for the
U.S. National Security Council The United States National Security Council (NSC) is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for consideration of national security, military, and foreign policy matters. Based in the White House, it is part of the Exe ...
, claimed Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad had "stored weapons" in the hospital. These claims were disputed. * * * ** An al-Shifa employee interviewed by ''Al Jazeera'' stated Israel had not brought any aid or supplies, but had "detained and brutally assaulted" men who were sheltering at the hospital.


16 November

* Rik Peeperkorn, a World Health Organization representative, stated al-Shifa hospital had no oxygen, power, or water. ** The hospital director stated bodies were actively decomposing, patients' wounds were full of
maggot A maggot is the larva of a fly (order Diptera); it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachycera flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and crane flies. ...
s, and "The smell of death is everywhere." ** A contact within the hospital interviewed by ''BBC'' said that Israeli soldiers had supplied water to elderly patients. ** According to ''The Wall Street Journal'', an Israeli military official stated that aid was left at the hospital's front gate and that the hospital's staff was informed of its availability. * The
Indonesia Hospital Indonesia Hospital ( ar, المستشفى الإندونيسي, translit=al-Mustashfá al-Indūnīsī, id, Rumah Sakit Indonesia) was a hospital located in Bait Lahia, North Gaza Governorate, Gaza Strip, Palestine. Facilities The hospital ha ...
completely shut down, leaving 45 patients in need of surgery.


17 November

* The Palestinian Red Crescent stated its emergency medical teams were trapped at Al-Ahli Hospital. * Staff at Al-Shifa stated 50 patients, including infants, had died due to power and oxygen shortages. * The director of Al-Shifa stated Israel's claim to provide incubators to premature babies was false.


18 November

* An evacuation of al-Shifa began. ** Ismail al-Thawabta, a spokesperson for the Palestinian media office, stated patients moved to other facilities were going to die. ActionAid called it a death sentence. ** The hospital stated six doctors would remain behind with 120 patients too sick to be transferred. ** The IDF released images of military trucks unloading supplies outside Al-Shifa hospital. According to the military, supplies included 6,000 liters of water and 2,300 kg of food. ** A humanitarian team from the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
visited al-Shifa and found a lack of food, water, or medicine, with signs of gunfire and a mass grave. ** The director of al-Shifa said people were only given one hour to evacuate, stating, "we were forced to leave at gunpoint." ** WHO stated 25 health workers and 291 patients, including 32 babies remained at al-Shifa. * Two people were killed while traveling in a clearly identified Doctors Without Borders evacuation convoy in
Gaza City Gaza (;''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' (1998), , p. 761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory in Palestine, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza...". ar, غَزَّة ', ), also referred to as Gaza City, i ...
. Doctors Without Borders termed it a "deliberate attack."


19 November

* The premature babies at al-Shifa were evacuated to southern Gaza, where they were planned to be moved to Egypt the following day. * The World Health Organization stated it was planning missions to transport the remaining al-Shifa patients to Nasser Medical Complex and European Gaza Hospital in the next 2–3 days.


20 November

* Israel launched an offensive on
Indonesia Hospital Indonesia Hospital ( ar, المستشفى الإندونيسي, translit=al-Mustashfá al-Indūnīsī, id, Rumah Sakit Indonesia) was a hospital located in Bait Lahia, North Gaza Governorate, Gaza Strip, Palestine. Facilities The hospital ha ...
with an airstrike that reportedly killed 12 people. ** Following the strike, Israeli tanks surrounded the hospital. ** Staff at the hospital reported Israeli soldiers shooting inside the hospital indiscriminately. ** Many sheltered at the hospital, as it was the last functioning one in northern Gaza. ** The Gaza Ministry of Health stated 200 patients were evacuated from the hospital, while an estimated 500 patients remained.


21 November

* The World Health Organization stated three hospitals in northern Gaza would be evacuated, meaning there would be no functioning hospitals left in northern Gaza. * Four doctors were reported killed after Israel bombed al-Awda Hospital. * The Government of Jordan reported Israel had ordered their field hospital to be evacuated and stated they would not comply.


22 November

* The Palestinian Red Crescent stated fourteen ambulances had arrived at al-Shifa to evacuate the hospital's remaining patients. * The Kamal Adwan hospital stated Israeli bombings increased around the hospital.


23 November

* Four patients died in the transfer from northern Gaza to the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital. * The Red Cross reported its staff were shot at while providing humanitarian support. * The
Gaza Health Ministry The Gaza Health Ministry is the government agency responsible for healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip of the Palestinian territories. It operates under the administration of the Hamas authority that has run the territory since 200 ...
announced it would cease coordination with the WHO on patient evacuations following the Israeli arrest of Palestinian doctors. * Staff at the Indonesia Hospital were reportedly ordered by the IDF to evacuate. * The head of the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee stated patients and staff at the Indonesia Hospital were evacuated to the European Hospital in Khan Younis.


24 November

* Medical workers reported dogs were eating the corpses of unburied people in the streets. * Hospitals in northern Gaza, including al-Ahli Arab Hospital, were evacuated by the World Health Organization and the Red Cross.


25 November

* The director general of the Ministry of Health stated the Israeli military shot at medical teams during the temporary ceasefire in effect. *
UNOCHA The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disaste ...
stated only four small hospitals in northern Gaza and eight health facilities in southern Gaza were still functioning.


26 November

* The conditions for remaining patients at al-Shifa were reportedly dire.


27 November

* The Ministry of Health reported a volunteer effort at al-Shifa hospital sought to restart the dialysis department.


28 November

* The al-Shifa dialysis unit was reportedly reopened and receiving patients. * A French warship was dispatched as a temporary hospital.


30 November

* WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated the health needs of Gaza had increased dramatically, though only one-third of its health facilities were functioning. * The Health Ministry stated hundreds needed to be evacuated from Gaza to receive medical care. * Italy and the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
stated they were considering establishing a field hospital in Gaza.


December 2023


1 December

* Hospitals reported overcrowding, with doctors forced to treat patients on the floor. * A spokesman for the Gaza crossing authority stated the
Rafah crossing The Rafah Border Crossing ( ar, معبر رفح, Ma`bar Rafaḥ) or Rafah Crossing Point is the sole crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. It is located on the Gaza–Egypt border, which was recognized by the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace ...
remained opened for the evacuation of the sick and wounded. * Doctors Without Borders stated al-Awda hospital had been damaged in an Israeli bombing.


2 December

* Saudi Arabia donated six ambulances to the Palestinian Red Crescent.


3 December

* James Elder, a spokesman for
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
described Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis as a "death zone." * The IDF bombed the Kamal Adwan hospital, killing at least four people. * Two Red Crescent paramedics were wounded by gunfire from the Israeli military.


4 December

* Doctors Without Borders stated hospitals in southern Gaza were overflowing with wounded patients. On 4 December,
Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
president
Mirjana Spoljaric Egger Mirjana Spoljaric Egger is a Swiss diplomat. Since October 2022, she has served as the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Life and work Egger studied philosophy, economics and international law at the University of Basel ...
visited the Gaza Strip, stating, "The things I saw there are beyond anything that anyone should be in a position to describe."


5 December

* Attacks in the vicinity of Kamal Adwan hospital were reported. * Doctors at the Al-Aqsa Hospital stated they could not handle the overflow of patients they were experiencing.


6 December

* Doctors Without Borders stated fuel and medical supplies at al-Aqsa hospital were critically low. * Doctors in south Gaza reported a lack of beds and supplies.


7 December

* The Palestinian Red Crescent stated 60 percent of the wounded in Gaza required urgent medical treatment abroad, and that ambulance service in northern Gaza had completely ceased. * The Gaza Health Ministry stated only basic
first aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery. It includes initial in ...
was being delivered at Al-Shifa Hospital. * WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated fighting in southern Gaza was making it increasingly difficult to run health operations.


8 December

* An estimated 286 health workers in Gaza had been killed by Israel.


9 December

* WHO stated two health staff had been shot and killed by the IDF at Al Awda Hospital, besieged since 5 December. * The director of the European Hospital stated the situation was catastrophic, with paramedics wounded in Israeli airstrikes.


10 December

* WHO adopted a resolution to protect healthcare in Gaza, which director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described as "almost impossible in the current circumstances." * Doctors Without Borders stated that the Israeli army had forced them to evacuate the Martyrs and Beni Shueila clinics, and that healthcare had completely collapsed. * The Ministry of Health stated 50,000 people had been wounded since the start of the conflict. Bushra Khalidi, an expert with
Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...
, stated the situation was no longer "just a catastrophe, it's apocalyptic."


11 December

* MSF stated one of its doctors inside Al Awda Hospital had been injured by an Israeli sniper. * The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital stated Israel had killed two mothers and their newborn babies when Israel targeted its maternity ward. The UN confirmed the killings.


12 December

* WHO pleaded with the Israeli army not to destroy hospitals in southern Gaza. * Doctors Without Borders said healthcare conditions in Gaza were akin to conditions during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. * Israel raided the Kamal Adwan Hospital. ** In response, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated WHO was extremely worried for Kamal Adwan's medical staff. * Doctors at Nasser Medical Complex in
Khan Younis Khan Yunis ( ar, خان يونس, also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus; translation: ''Caravansary fJonah'') is a city in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Khan Yunis had a population of 142,63 ...
described a lack of supplies and barely any medical functionality.


13 December

* The head of pediatrics at Kamal Adwan stated the IDF had ordered all men and boys above age sixteen to leave the hospital to be searched. ** 70 medical staffers were arrested and taken to an unknown location. *''
Jacobin , logo = JacobinVignette03.jpg , logo_size = 180px , logo_caption = Seal of the Jacobin Club (1792–1794) , motto = "Live free or die"(french: Vivre libre ou mourir) , successor = Pa ...
'' reported 240 people were trapped at al-Awda, surrounded by Israeli snipers, without clean water and surviving on one meal per day of bread or rice.


14 December

* A staffer at the al-Awda hospital reported Israeli snipers had shot at a pregnant civilian at the hospital. ** A hospital monitoring manager stated a nurse had been killed by an Israeli sniper on the hospital's fourth floor through the window. ** Renzo Fricke, an official at Doctors Without Borders, stated, "Reports coming out of Al-Awda hospital are harrowing and we are gravely worried for safety of patients and staff inside". ** The
Gaza Health Ministry The Gaza Health Ministry is the government agency responsible for healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip of the Palestinian territories. It operates under the administration of the Hamas authority that has run the territory since 200 ...
stated their fear that after the Israeli raid of Kamal Adwan was complete, al-Awda would be their next target. * The Ministry of Health reported 2,500 internally displaced persons from Kamal Adwan had been forcibly evacuated, and that IDF soldiers had prevented medical staff from continuing support to 12 babies in intensive care and ten emergency department patients, leading to two deaths.


15 December

* Ahmad Shatat, pediatric doctor at the Emirati Hospital in Rafah, stated the number of premature babies born in Gaza had risen sharply due to mothers' lack of proper care and diet.


16 December

* Journalists reported Israeli bulldozers had crushed people sheltering outside Kamal Adwan, with one reporter describing "a terrifying massacre and unspeakable scenes", and stating, "Dozens of displaced, sick and wounded people were buried alive".


17 December

* Following a convoy visit to al-Shifa hospital, the World Health Organization released a statement describing the situation as a "bloodbath" with hundreds of injured patients inside laying on the floor. * World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated patients had evacuated Kamal Adwan hospital, resulting in the deaths of patients, including a nine-year-old. ** A man stated his 25-year-old son had been buried alive by IDF bulldozers at Kamal Adwan. ** The Kamal Adwan Hospital was reported destroyed and in rubble. * A tank shell killed children when it hit the pediatric ward at the Nasser Medical Complex.


18 December

* The al-Ahli Arab Hospital was attacked, with displaced people forced out and two doctors arrested.


19 December

* Margaret Harris, a
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
spokesperson, said only 30% of Gaza's 20,000 pre-conflict health staff were still working, stating, "One of my colleagues described people lying on the floor in severe pain, in agony, but they weren't asking for pain relief. They were asking for water. It's beyond belief that the world is allowing this to continue." * Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated the UN had "found deeply concerning conditions" at Nasser Medical Complex following the 17 December attack on the hospital's pediatric unit. * Doctors Without Borders reported Israeli troops seized Al-Awda Hospital, with troops stripping, binding, and interrogating all men and boys over the age of sixteen. * The al-Ahli Hospital director stated Israeli troops arrested doctors, patients, and medical staff, partially destroyed the building's grounds, leaving the hospital unable to receive patients. Four people from the 18 December attacks on the hospital died. * Doctors Without Borders stated, "Doctors are stepping over bodies of dead children to treat other children who will die anyway. The lucky few that survive have life-changing injuries. Many injured people suffer from extreme burns, major fractures that won't heal properly and may go on to require amputations."


20 December

* The Palestinian Red Crescent Society stated Israeli troops had besieged its northern Gaza ambulance centre. ** The Red Crescent reported emergency and rescue teams were unable to reach the wounded. * WHO secretary-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital was out of service, stating, "That has left north Gaza with no functional hospital. Only four hospitals operate at a minimum level, providing very limited care". * The Kuwaiti Hospital was overcrowded by large numbers of wounded patients following an airstrike in Rafah.


21 December

* Wounded people unable to call ambulances due to
communications blackout In telecommunications, communications blackouts are * a cessation of communications or communications capability, caused by a lack of power to a communications facility or to communications equipment. * a total lack of radio communications capab ...
s reported biking and taking donkey carts to hospitals, while ambulance drivers stated they simply followed plumes of smoke or the sound of explosions. * The Palestinian Red Crescent stated their ambulance centre was still under siege. ** The Red Crescent reported the IDF had raided the ambulance centre. * A nurse was reportedly killed by a sniper at al-Awda hospital, with people inside left in a "state of horror". * The director general of the
Gaza Health Ministry The Gaza Health Ministry is the government agency responsible for healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip of the Palestinian territories. It operates under the administration of the Hamas authority that has run the territory since 200 ...
was wounded in an airstrike on his home. * The closure of al-Ahli Hospital meant there were no functional hospitals remaining in northern Gaza.


22 December

* Intense shelling was reported near al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis. * The Palestinian Red Crescent stated Israel had destroyed all ambulance vehicles at its besieged centre, and that 47 men were stripped naked, beaten, and tortured.


23 December

* The Palestinian Red Crescent stated the Israeli army was detaining eight emergency rescue teams. * The head of pediatrics at Kamal Adwan Hospital reported the conditions of the IDF siege, stating, "The soldiers dug up the graves this morning and dragged the bodies with bulldozers, then crushed the bodies with the bulldozers. I have never seen such a thing before."


24 December

* The director of the Nasser Medical Complex reported doctors were treating wounds caused by internationally prohibited weapons.


25 December

* The Government Media Office stated 23 hospitals were out of service, that the health system was in the "final stage" of collapse, and that 9,000 people had died due to a lack of medical services. * The Gaza Health Ministry reported 800,000 people in northern Gaza had no access to healthcare.


26 December

* The Palestinian Red Crescent Society headquarters in
Khan Younis Khan Yunis ( ar, خان يونس, also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus; translation: ''Caravansary fJonah'') is a city in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Khan Yunis had a population of 142,63 ...
sustained serious damage after being hit by Israeli bombing. Several staff were injured. ** The Red Crescent lost contact with its emergency teams due to a communications blackout. * Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated the healthcare system was under "unbearable strain", and that patients at Al-Aqsa Hospital would die while waiting for treatment. *
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
representative Rik Peeperkorn expressed fears that Nasser Medical Complex would be imperiled as the IDF moved its fighting into
Khan Younis Khan Yunis ( ar, خان يونس, also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus; translation: ''Caravansary fJonah'') is a city in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Khan Yunis had a population of 142,63 ...
.


27 December

* Israeli army attacks were reported in the vicinity of El-Amal City Hospital in Khan Younis. *
Mai al-Kaila Mai Al-Kaila ( ar, مي الكيلة; born 8 April 1955) is a Palestinian doctor, diplomat and politician, and the first woman to hold the position of Health Minister of Palestine. She holds a PhD in public health and health administration. She ...
stated only eight hospitals in southern Gaza were "partially" functioning. * WHO stated it had delivered supplies to Al-Shifa and El-Amal Hospitals.


28 December

* The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis reported it was operating without 80 percent of its staff. * The Palestinian Red Crescent condemned recent attacks in the vicinity of El-Amal Hospital, stating, "The occupations intensification in targeting the vicinity of al-Amal Hospital during the past few days may be considered a prelude to targeting it directly." ** The Palestinian Red Crescent and the Egyptian Red Crescent Society announced they were setting up 300 tents to house the displaced families of medical, ambulance and relief staff. * The director of operations of the
Gaza Health Ministry The Gaza Health Ministry is the government agency responsible for healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip of the Palestinian territories. It operates under the administration of the Hamas authority that has run the territory since 200 ...
stated 1.6 million people in Rafah were in need of medical care and that international intervention was needed.


29 December

* The Gaza Government Media office stated 800,000 residents in northern Gaza had no access to hospitals, and that 7,000 people remained buried beneath rubble. * The UN called the health system in Gaza "shattered" and said patients were just "waiting to die".


30 December

* The World Health Organization stated 13 out of 36 Gaza hospitals were partially functional. * The Gaza Health Ministry stated they had reopened Al Arabi Hospital, Patient Friend's Benevolent Society, Assahaba Medical Complex, and Al Helou International Hospital. * An airstrike near European Hospital in Khan Younis killed five people. * UNICEF stated it had delivered 600,000 childhood vaccine doses.


January 2024


1 January

*
Mai al-Kaila Mai Al-Kaila ( ar, مي الكيلة; born 8 April 1955) is a Palestinian doctor, diplomat and politician, and the first woman to hold the position of Health Minister of Palestine. She holds a PhD in public health and health administration. She ...
stated only nine hospitals were still operating in Gaza.


2 January

* The Palestinian Red Crescent Society headquarters was bombed, killing five including a baby. ** Gemma Connell, an UNOCHA representative, stated, "The world should be absolutely horrified. The world should be absolutely outraged a child was killed here today... the world should be ashamed." * Tedros Ghebreyesus condemned Israel's attack on the al-Amal Hospital, stating, "Today's bombings are unconscionable Gaza's health system is already on its knees, with health and aid workers continuously stymied in their efforts to save lives due to the hostilities."


3 January

* The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported Israeli attacks near the al-Amal Hospital were intensifying. * The Gaza Health Ministry announced at least 128 Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 22,313.


4 January

* The Palestine Red Crescent Society stated Israel bombed the home of the Central Gaza Ambulance Center director. ** The PRCS reported another attack on the al-Amal hospital, sending an appeal to the international community, Red Cross, and UN to protect its staff and patients. One person was killed in the shelling. * Medical Aid for Palestinians and the
International Rescue Committee The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global humanitarian aid, relief, and development nongovernmental organization. Founded in 1933 as the International Relief Association, at the request of Albert Einstein, and changing its name in 19 ...
released a joint statement stating Gaza's health system was "on the brink of catastrophic collapse". * Doctors Without Borders stated Israeli bombing near Al-Aqsa hospital was creating dangerous conditions. ** An MSF doctor stated, "We had to move our wound-dressing activities from the tent in the hospital courtyard to inside the premises to protect staff and patients. From the hospital, we can hear the bombing in the neighborhoods".


5 January

* Israeli shelling was reported near the al-Nasr Hospital. * The
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization that reaches 160 million people each year through its 192-member National Societies. It acts before, during and after disas ...
condemned Israel's attacks on El Amal Hospital and the Palestinian Red Crescent headquarters. ** A total of seven people were killed and eleven wounded. * Doctors Without Borders set up a field hospital in Rafah, stating, "Staff are literally kneeling in blood on the floor to try to save the life of a person, even intubating on the floor."


6 January

* A doctor at Al-Aqsa Hospital reported intense fighting getting close to the hospital, stating his fear the IDF would "do there what they did at Shifa and the Indonesian hospital". * A displaced man was shot in the chest by an Israeli sniper in front of El Amal Hospital. * The Gaza Health Ministry reported the operating rooms at al-Shifa hospital had reopened.


7 January

* Gaza Media Office stated there were 6,000 wounded people waiting to be approved to receive treatment in Egypt. * The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported they were using torches to treat wounded people. * Medical Aid for Palestinians and the International Rescue Committee were forced to evacuate the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, with MAP stating, "The Israeli military has dropped leaflets designating areas surrounding the hospital as a 'red zone.'" ** The Gaza Health Ministry stated Israeli drones were shooting at "anything that moves", and were aiming to disable the hospital. * "Save the Children" reported that 13 out of Gaza's 36 hospitals remain partially functional.


8 January

* Drones reportedly opened fire at people near Al-Aqsa Hospital. ** A doctor at Al-Aqsa reported, "I had to deal with a child with multiple gunshots in his chest and one in the abdomen alone. I felt so bad because normally this child could have been saved. Finally we heard a lot of gunshots around and we had to leave everyone behind. And I literally cried because I didn't know what to do wondering what will happen to the people there." ** Displaced people reportedly fled the vicinity of the hospital as fighting neared Al-Aqsa. ** A Medical Aid for Palestinians doctor at Al-Aqsa Hospital stated, "There were several hundred people being admitted every day... There were scenes I'd never seen before in a hospital, and I've been a surgeon for many years and I've never seen anything like this." ** A Doctors Without Borders doctor described the situation at Al -Aqsa as "catastrophic". * The
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
stated Israel had denied its request to deliver medical supplies, stating, "This marked the fourth denial of a mission to the al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia and Central Drug Store in Gaza City since December 26, leaving five hospitals in northern Gaza without access to life-saving medical supplies and equipment”. * Doctors Without Borders reported their staff and families, including a five-year-old girl, had been injured by Israeli shelling at an MSF shelter.


9 January

* Doctors Without Borders condemned the prior day's Israeli attack on the MSF shelter, stating the five-year-old girl had died. * In a social media post,
UNRWA The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 P ...
called for a ceasefire, stating, "Health system rapidly collapsing". * The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported it had recovered the bodies of two people from the Maghazi camp. *
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
coordinator Sean Casey stated, "What we're seeing is really worrying around a lot of the hospitals and an intensification of hostilities, very close to the European Gaza Hospital. We are seeing the health system collapse at a very rapid pace." * A nurse at Al-Aqsa stated most doctors had fled and patients arriving would not likely receive treatment.


10 January

* A doctor with Medical Aid for Palestinians stated Israeli attacks were making Al-Aqsa Hospital unusable, stating, "I think it's looking extremely likely that Al-Aqsa will become completely disabled as a healthcare facility". ** Journalist Hind Khoudary visited Al-Aqsa Hospital, stating, "The hospital is crowded, it was chaos. You can't imagine the amount of blood I saw." ** At least forty were killed in an Israel bombing near the Al-Aqsa entrance. * The Palestinian Red Crescent reported an Israeli airstrike killed four paramedics and two patients in an ambulance, leading WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to state he was "appalled" by the attack. ** The Red Crescent stated eleven of its paramedics had been killed by Israel since 7 October. * WHO stated it had cancelled an aid mission to northern Gaza for the sixth time. * In a social media post, UN humanitarian relief chief
Martin Griffiths Martin Griffiths (born 3 July 1951) is a British diplomat who currently serves as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations. Personal life and education Born in Wales, Griffiths w ...
stated, "The health sector in Gaza is being slowly choked off as hospitals continue to come under fire." * Red Cross director
Robert Mardini Robert Mardini (born 1972) is Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Early life and education Mardini was born and raised in Tripoli, Lebanon. He was educated at the Lycée Français in Tripoli and at the Ecole ...
stated all hospitals were suffering from the total collapse of the healthcare system, stating it was "unacceptable and dangerous". * The Gaza Health Ministry stated it was investigating injuries caused by internationally banned weapons and warned 800,000 people in northern Gaza had been "sentenced to death" due to the collapse of the healthcare system. * Generators at the International Medical Corps’ field hospital in Rafah were destroyed.


11 January

* A former-Gaza Health Ministry official in Rafah stated he had converted his store into a makeshift medical clinic to help with the overflow of patients, receiving 30 to 40 patients a day. * Stephane Dujarric stated three-quarters of Gaza's 77 primary health centres were no longer functioning, stating, "The ongoing hostilities in Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis – coupled with evacuation orders in nearby areas – are putting three hospitals at the risk of closures". * Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on Israel to allow WHO access to northern Gaza, stating, "We have the supplies, the teams and the plans in place. What we don't have is access." *
UNOCHA The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disaste ...
reported only fifteen of Gaza's hospitals were still in operation.


12 January

* The Al-Aqsa Hospital experienced a blackout after running out of fuel to power its generators. ** Newborn babies at were Al-Aqsa at risk due to the blackout. * The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that a communications blackout was preventing medical workers from reaching injured people. * A Doctors Without Borders representative stated, "We're gradually being cornered in a very restrictive perimeter in southern Gaza, in Rafah, with dwindling options to offer critical medical assistance, while the needs are desperately growing". *
Mai al-Kaila Mai Al-Kaila ( ar, مي الكيلة; born 8 April 1955) is a Palestinian doctor, diplomat and politician, and the first woman to hold the position of Health Minister of Palestine. She holds a PhD in public health and health administration. She ...
stated a shipment of polio vaccines and other medicines had arrived in Gaza. * The UN stated Israel was blocking medical supplies to northern Gaza. * The director of Khan Younis's ambulance center was released from Israeli custody after 51 days.


13 January

* The Palestinian Red Crescent reported 180 women were giving birth per day in "inhumane conditions". * The Red Crescent established mobile clinics in Rafah and Khan Younis to help with the overflow of patients in hospitals. * The Gaza Health Ministry reported only six ambulances were operating in Gaza. * Patients attempting to flee Al-Aqsa Hospital faced challenges evacuating due to Israel forces stationed a few hundred metres away. ** A doctor at Al-Aqsa Hospital reported the challenges facing their premature babies during the blackout, stating doctors were trying to "find some blankets for the children and babies. They suffer from malnutrition. They can easily get sick, even die, God forbid.” ** Military attacks were conducted on the hospital.


14 January

* The Palestine Red Crescent reported it had received 46 aid trucks of food, water, relief aid, and medical supplies. ** The Red Crescent announced it had resumed emergency medical services in Gaza City. * Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for the protection of Gaza's remaining hospitals. * The Red Cross Secretary-General Jagan Chapagain wrote, "Civilian population in Gaza have suffered enough, and healthcare is one of the last remaining beacons of hope. It's a humanitarian and moral imperative to ensure the people of Gaza can access health care."


15 January

* UNRWA reported only six out of its 22 health facilities remained operational in Gaza. * The Palestine Red Crescent Society stated it had resumed its 101 emergency call system. * WHO stated Al-Aqsa was operating with only 10 percent of its staff, while Nasser Medical Complex was overflowing with double past its capacity. * Dr.
Mads Gilbert Mads Fredrik Gilbert (born 2 June 1947) is a Norwegian physician, humanitarian, activist, and politician for the Red Party. He is a specialist in anesthesiology and head of the emergency medicine department at the University Hospital of North No ...
stated, "This is a systematic man-made disaster. This is planned and executed by the Israeli government with the full support from the US. It's the worst man-made medical disaster in modern history."


16 January

* The Palestinian Red Crescent reported it had received 25 aid trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent. * Displaced peoples fled the Nasser Medical Complex as Israeli shelling approached. * Medics in
Khan Younis Khan Yunis ( ar, خان يونس, also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus; translation: ''Caravansary fJonah'') is a city in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Khan Yunis had a population of 142,63 ...
and
Gaza City Gaza (;''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' (1998), , p. 761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory in Palestine, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza...". ar, غَزَّة ', ), also referred to as Gaza City, i ...
were struggling to reach wounded people due to intensive Israeli bombardment, meaning people remained trapped under rubble. * Shelling from a nearby attack damaged the al-Amal hospital and created a "state of panic". * The World Health Organization reported a rise in
Hepatitis A Hepatitis A is an infectious disease of the liver caused by ''Hepatovirus A'' (HAV); it is a type of viral hepatitis. Many cases have few or no symptoms, especially in the young. The time between infection and symptoms, in those who develop them ...
cases in Gaza. * The Health Ministry reported 350,000 chronically ill patients were deprived of medication. *
UNOCHA The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disaste ...
reported, "Lack of fuel for water, sanitation and hygiene increases risks of health and environmental hazards," while "Lack of medicine debilitated the functionality of the six partially functioning hospitals".


17 January

* Doctors Without Borders stated conditions at Nasser Medical Complex were "catastrophic" as displaced people fled nearby heavy Israeli bombardment. *
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
reported that the six-day communications blackout had put civilians at risk, as rescue services could not reach wounded people. * Majed al-Ansari stated medical aid had entered the Gaza Strip. * The Gaza Health Ministry said equipment for
blood tests A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a hypodermic needle, or via fingerprick. Multiple tests for specific blood components, such as a glucose test or a cholester ...
were running low. * The Jordanian field hospital in Khan Younis was severely damaged by Israeli shelling.


18 January

* A Doctors Without Borders doctor described conditions at Nasser Medical Complex as unbearable, stating, "You've got patients who are being operated on the floor. You've got patients who are sleeping on the floor. You have staff who are sleeping on the floor because they prefer to sleep in the hospital than to take the risk of going back and forth to their homes, which may or may not still exist." * The Gaza Health Ministry stated the medical aid received only covered 30 percent of need. * The Palestinian Red Crescent reported it had received a total of 5,939 trucks of aid and 88 ambulances since the war began. * Doctors confirmed the spread of
Hepatitis C Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that primarily affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. During the initial infection people often have mild or no symptoms. Occasionally a fever, dark urine, a ...
in Rafah amongst displaced people. * A World Health Organization representative stated, "I've seen children full of shrapnel dying on the floor because there are not the supplies in the emergency department, and the healthcare workers… to care for them". * Salt was reportedly being put in wounds to be used as a disinfectant. * Only fifteen of Gaza's hospital's remained partially operational, with a WHO representative stating, "Every time I went to the hospitals, I saw evidence, again and again, of the simultaneous humanitarian catastrophe that's unfolding".


19 January

* Jordan stated Israel had again targeted its field hospital, shooting inside at sheltering staff. * A Doctors Without Borders doctor stated, "Our impact is very, very low because there are almost two million in people of need of health care. If you compare with the needs that there are, what we are doing is really a drop in the ocean." * The Palestinian Red Crescent reported they were working to clean and repair Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City after it sustained damage from Israeli attacks, stating, "The hospital suffered a fire, and a destruction of all its medical equipments and contents." * As a non-functioning hospital, al-Shifa was reportedly being used as an evacuation center. * The Red Crescent stated Israeli gunfire wounded displaced people at al-Amal hospital. * A doctor was forced to amputate his own daughter's leg without anesthesia. *
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
stated, "The situation of pregnant women and newborns in the Gaza Strip is beyond belief, and it demands intensified and immediate actions. The already precarious situation of infant and maternal mortality has worsened as the healthcare system collapses." * Panic was reported within Nasser Medical Complex as Israeli soldiers neared. * Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, "The inhumane living conditions – barely any clean water, clean toilets and possibility to keep the surroundings clean – will enable Hepatitis A to spread further and highlight how explosively dangerous the environment is for the spread of disease."


20 January

* The UN Population Fund reported that staff in the Emirati Hospital were "operating far beyond their capacity with limited space, and women recovering from Cesarean births are discharged within a day". * The number of hospitals still remaining in operation was reported to be "very limited". * The Gaza Health Ministry stated, "The aid entering the Gaza Strip does not meet basic health needs. We try to differentiate between cases among the wounded and sick to save who we can." * Airstrikes in Khan Younis were reportedly concentrated in the areas around Nasser Medical Complex and the Jordanian field hospital.


21 January

* Doctors at Nasser Medical Complex expressed fears their hospital would undergo a siege similar to that at Al-Shifa, with the head of the burns department stating, "I pray to God that this will not happen… I know that Israel has already crossed all red lines… but this is the main hospital in the south of Gaza. I hope that this will not happen. If it happens, I cannot tell you how catastrophic it will be." * Around 1,000 wounded people were being treated in a French field hospital off the coast of Egypt.


22 January

* Israeli soldiers reportedly continued moving closer to Nasser Hospital. * The Palestinian Red Crescent reported Nasser was under attack, like all other hospitals in southern Gaza. * The Red Crescent also reported the IDF was attacking its ambulance center in Khan Younis, preventing paramedics from reaching wounded people. ** The Red Crescent reported they had lost all contact with their Khan Younis ambulance team. * The Gaza Health Ministry stated Israeli soldiers had raided the al-Khair hospital and arrested medical staff.


23 January

* Doctors Without Borders reported that the neighborhood blocks surrounding and including Nasser Hospital had received IDF orders to evacuate. *
Martin Griffiths Martin Griffiths (born 3 July 1951) is a British diplomat who currently serves as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations. Personal life and education Born in Wales, Griffiths w ...
reported medics at Nasser Hospital remained working "while debris is falling on their heads". * WHO reported it was able to deliver fuel to al-Shifa for the first time since 12 January.
UNOCHA The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disaste ...
reported the hospital had effectively become a shelter for displaced people. * Paramedics reported they were being prevented from accessing the bodies of the dead afters strikes in Khan Younis. ** One medical staffer reported difficulties due to the city's destroyed roads and communications blackout. * A Gaza Health Ministry spokesman stated Nasser Hospital was being isolated by the IDF. * One person was killed and twelve people were wounded after an IDF attack on Al-Amal hospital. * Doctors Without Borders staff reported patients at the European and Nasser Hospitals were dying while hospitalized due to unsanitary conditions and lack of staff. * The Red Crescent stated, "We remain extremely worried regarding the safety of our units in Khan Younis. There has been a systematic targeting of PRCS premises, and of healthcare facilities by Israeli occupation forces since the start of the war." * Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated he was deeply concerned about fighting near Al-Amal Hospital and Israel's raid on Al-Khair Hospital.


24 January

* The Red Crescent reported the IDF had imposed a curfew on Al-Amal Hospital. * The Gaza Health Ministry reported the Nasser Hospital was isolated, and an estimated 400 diabetic patients were unable to receive insulin treatment. ** People fleeing Nasser were reportedly killed by Israeli tanks and drones. * WHO reported seven hospitals in Northern Gaza and seven in Southern Gaza remained operational. * The Gaza Civil Defense reported thousands had died due to the lack of first aid supplies. * Three civilians were killed in an airstrike on the Palestine Red Crescent Society headquarters. * Doctors Without Borders stated it was too dangerous to evacuate thousands of patients from Nasser.


25 January

* The Gaza Health Ministry reported bombing near the Nasser Hospital. ** Doctors at Nasser reported they were treating patients by flashlight. * A WHO representative stated, "Many hospitals are not working, there is no specialised staff, there is no medicine, and in many instances it is simply impossible to reach hospitals because roads are damaged". * The Environment Quality Authority stated two-thirds of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were suffering from waterborne illness. * The
International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...
stated, "The cumulative impact on the health system is devastating and urgent action must be taken." *
UNOCHA The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disaste ...
reported three hospitals and the Red Crescent ambulance center were besieged. * Omar Abdel-Mannan, the co-founder of Gaza Medic Voices, said the triage system "has well and truly collapsed in Gaza".


26 January

* Doctors Without Borders stated there is "no longer a healthcare system in Gaza". * The Palestinian Red Crescent reported a third day of bombing around its headquarters. * A Gaza Health Ministry spokesman stated Israel was deliberately paralyzing Al-Amal and Nasser Hospitals. * UNRWA reported a rise in hepatitis A in camps for internally displaced persons. * The gate of Al-Amal Hospital was reportedly hit by Israeli tank fire. * The Health Ministry stated Nasser hospital was out of food, anaesthetics, and painkillers, stating, "There are 150 health personnel, 350 patients, and hundreds of displaced families in the Nasser Medical Complex in catastrophic conditions of starvation, targeting, and lack of treatment". * A volunteer with the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee stated, "Everything is limited, including clean water, food and aid trucks, which Israeli forces won't let enter through Rafah." * The Red Crescent removed a 1 kg (2.2 pounds) piece of shrapnel from a man's shoulder. * WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic stated, "There is no medicines, and in many instances, it's simply impossible to reach hospitals."


27 January

* The CEO of the International Federation of Red Cross stated, "Heavy fighting continue to escalate in the surroundings of Palestine Red Crescent Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis, resulting in several injuries and hindering PRCS teams from reaching those in need." * Snipers outside al-Amal Hospital were reportedly preventing anyone from leaving the hospital. * A director at Nasser Hospital stated 95 percent of staff had evacuated. * The Gaza Health Ministry stated that Israeli drone fire had destroyed Nasser's water tanks. * The Red Crescent condemned Israel's attacks on al-Amal hospital.


28 January

* The Gaza Ministry of Health reported an accumulation of medical and non-medical waste at Nasser Hospital. ** The Ministry further reported that Nasser lacked anaesthesia and was dangerously low on blood. * Children were buried in a mass grave at Nasser Hospital. * The Palestinian Red Crescent stated its teams at al-Amal hospital were unable to perform surgeries due to a lack of oxygen.


29 January

* The CEO of the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization that reaches 160 million people each year through its 192-member National Societies. It acts before, during and after disas ...
stated his key concerns were "the health system on the brink of collapse, the alarming spread of diseases and the risk of famine increasing daily." * The head of the burns department at Nasser Hospital stated, "If Israeli forces start to move into the hospital, the patients will remain in their beds until they die. It's like an execution sentence." * A doctor at the Gaza European Hospital stated, "The health system in Gaza is collapsed, and we're doing our best to save lives."


30 January

* Doctors Without Borders delivered 19,000 litres (5,000 gallons) of fuel to al-Shifa Hospital. * The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that IDF tanks had raided the al-Amal Hospital, forced displaced people to evacuate immediately, and burned down their tents. * The Palestinian Red Crescent lost contact with a team attempting to rescue a six-year-old girl. *
Mai al-Kaila Mai Al-Kaila ( ar, مي الكيلة; born 8 April 1955) is a Palestinian doctor, diplomat and politician, and the first woman to hold the position of Health Minister of Palestine. She holds a PhD in public health and health administration. She ...
warned that Gaza was at risk of the rapid spread of epidemics.


31 January

* The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that both the Nasser Medical Complex and Al Amal Hospital had run out of food. * The Al Amal hospital was reportedly completely out of service.


February 2024


1 February

* WHO stated it had provided UNRWA with an early warning system to detect disease outbreak in emergency settings. * An MSF doctor reported that the scenes around Nasser were "catastrophic" and "one of the most devastating things" he'd ever seen before. * Paramedics reported difficulty rescuing people due to the intensity of fighting in Khan Younis.


2 February

* The UN reported that both Nasser and Al-Amal hospitals were facing a "serious shortage of oxygen".


4 February

* The Palestinian Red Crescent stated food and fuel at al-Amal hospital were depleted and that "medical supplies and medicines are at zero stock, with a significant shortage of essential drugs for chronic diseases".


5 February

* Displaced people at al-Amal hospital were given a safe corridor to flee to Rafah. ** The Red Crescent stated 8,000 people evacuated.


6 February

* The Palestinian Society for Haemophilia stated only 4 out of 200 registered
hemophilia Haemophilia, or hemophilia (), is a mostly inherited genetic disorder that impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, a process needed to stop bleeding. This results in people bleeding for a longer time after an injury, easy bruising, ...
cs had been evacuated from Gaza. * The Gaza Health Ministry stated that electric generators at Nasser Hospital would run out of fuel within days, as the situation deteriorated and food ran out. * The Red Crescent reported that al-Amal hospital was out of fuel, oxygen and all medical supplies, and that 43 people had been killed since the start of Israel's siege. * WHO reported a "rapid deterioration of al-Shifa Hospital due to intensifying hostilities".


7 February

* The Gaza Health Ministry stated 11,000 people were in urgent need of a medical evacuation. * UNOCHA reported Nasser Hospital had only four days of fuel remaining in its reserves.


8 February

* WHO stated that al-Shifa hospital was operating under "minimal functionality" due to nearby fighting. * Norway's Minister of International Development
Anne Beathe Tvinnereim Anne Beathe Kristiansen Tvinnereim (née Kristiansen, born 22 May 1974) is a Norwegian diplomat and politician of the Centre Party. She has served as minister of international development since 2021, and the party's second deputy leader since 201 ...
stated, "Health services have collapsed. In addition to all of the ramifications of the war, many are dying from infectious diseases and a lack of healthcare."


9 February

* Israeli forces raided Al-Amal hospital. ** The Palestinian Red Crescent Society stated it had completely lost contact with its teams at Al-Amal hospital.


11 February

* The Palestine Red Crescent Society stated three patients had died at Al-Amal hospital due to Israeli forces preventing oxygen supplies from reaching the hospital.


12 February

* A doctor at the Gaza European Hospital stated conditions at the hospital were a "total disaster" and that "the health system in Gaza has collapsed".


13 February

* A Doctors Without Borders doctor described the deteriorating conditions in Rafah ahead of the planned Israeli invasion, stating, "We will all die, all of us. Hopefully soon enough to stop the suffering that we are living through every single second." * The World Health Organization stated there were 20,000 people sheltering at Gaza European Hospital and described it as "overwhelmed, overcrowded and undersupplied". * A fire near the Nasser Hospital spread to the medical equipment store, burning 80 percent of its medical supplies. * A 10-year-old died after Nasser ran out of fuel to power its generator.


14 February

* The World Health Organization stated Israel had denied the group access to Nasser Hospital since 29 January, despite reports of civilian casualties. * A doctor at the European Hospital in Khan Younis stated, "The whole system has collapsed. We are losing a lot of patients, most of the time because of the lack of equipment and medical staff."


15 February

* UNOCHA stated, "Al Amal Hospital continues to contend with acute shortages of fuel and medical supplies and currently has only one functional operating room". * WHO stated there were no fully functioning hospitals remaining in the Gaza Strip.


16 February

* An American doctor working in Gaza stated, "This morning I had to do surgery without any gowns, I had to do it in my scrubs. I've seen patients with minor burns that end up dying just because there's no care, nothing is available to provide them with care. You walk into the ward and we are practising 18th-century medicine here."


17 February

* The Gaza Media Office stated there were 11,000 injured people in need of treatment abroad, 700,000 people with infectious diseases, 60,000 at-risk pregnant women, 350,000 chronically ill people lacking medication, and 10,000 cancer patients without treatment. * The executive director of United Palestinian Appeal stated the organization was exploring telemedicine and mobile service options, but electricity was increasingly scarce. * The country director of
Women for Women International Women for Women International (WfWI) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides practical and moral support to female survivors of war. WfWI helps such women rebuild their lives after war's devastation through a year-long tiered progra ...
for Palestine stated lack of clean water and sanitation had led to disease outbreaks such as
diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...
, due to poor hygiene
scabies Scabies (; also sometimes known as the seven-year itch) is a contagious skin infestation by the mite ''Sarcoptes scabiei''. The most common symptoms are severe itchiness and a pimple-like rash. Occasionally, tiny burrows may appear on the skin ...
, lice and skin rashes were increasing, and dialysis patients and thousands of female cancer patients had no access to treatment. * The Gaza Health Ministry stated that 22 clinics, governmental or UNRWA, were working.


18 February

* On 18 February, the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
said
Nasser Hospital This is a list of hospitals in the State of Palestine. Hospitals in Palestine Hospitals in East Jerusalem * Augusta Victoria Hospital, Jerusalem: 164 beds; Al-Quds University teaching hospital * Makassed Hospital, Jerusalem, 250 beds (Al-Q ...
could no longer serve its patients, and that the hospital was no longer functional. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attributed the hospital's inability to continue operating to the Israeli siege and raid. *
Yousef Al Otaiba Yousef Al Otaiba ( ar, يوسف العتيبة) is the current United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United States and Minister of state. Previously Al Otaiba served as non-resident ambassador to Mexico. His father is Petroleum magnate Mana Al Ot ...
, the UAE ambassador to the United States wrote, "The medical system has collapsed." * A field hospital was set up in Rafah. * Jagan Chapagain, the secretary-general and CEO of the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization that reaches 160 million people each year through its 192-member National Societies. It acts before, during and after disas ...
, stated that the healthcare situation in Gaza was "beyond critical". * Al-Amal hospital was shelled by the Israeli military.


19 February

* WHO representative Rik Peeperkorn stated, "The degradation of health services needs to stop. A number of countries in the region and even in Europe have reached out and are willing to accept patients. We estimate that at least 8,000 patients need to be referred out of Gaza."


20 February

* UNRWA stated only seven of its 23 health facilities in southern and central Gaza were still operational. * The deputy director of the Al-Helal Al-Emairati Maternity Hospital in Rafah stated several premature babies had died in the hospital and said that the "health sector has been completely destroyed." * The Al-Aqsa Hospital, the only remaining hospital in the Deir el-Balah area, was reportedly overwhelmed by patients.


21 February

* An Australian medical staffer with Doctors Without Borders stated, "Everyone here is struggling, and it is a situation where we have victims caring for victims. There is no one here who does not need help."


22 February

* Chris Lockyear, the director of Doctors Without Borders, spoke to the
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
, stating, "There is no health system to speak of left in Gaza. Israel's military has dismantled hospital after hospital. What remains is so little in the face of such carnage". * Doctors at al-Shifa reported conditions were getting "worse and worse, day by day".


23 February

* The Gaza Health Ministry stated 350,000 chronic patients, 60,000 pregnant women, and 700,000 children in Gaza were facing severe health complications due to malnutrition, dehydration, and the collapse of the healthcare system. * Doctors Without Borders stated Israel was conducting a "war without limits". * The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health at
Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
found the war continuing at status quo would result in between 58,260 and 74,290 excess deaths.


24 February

* Doctors at al-Aqsa Hospital reported being overwhelmed by the large number of patients coming after strikes on Deir el-Balah. * A doctor who had served both in the
Ukraine War The following is a list of major conflicts fought by Ukraine, by Ukrainian people or by regular armies during periods when independent states existed on the modern territory of Ukraine, from the Kyivan Rus' times to the present day. It also i ...
and in Gaza, stated, "In Ukraine, hospitals are many in number and large in size and well equipped. That is why survival odds, for both medical staff and the wounded are high. In Gaza, it is completely the opposite."


25 February

* No operational health facilities remained in
Khan Younis Khan Yunis ( ar, خان يونس, also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus; translation: ''Caravansary fJonah'') is a city in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Khan Yunis had a population of 142,63 ...
.


26 February

* Doctors Without Borders reported their staff were building their own medical equipment due to the severe lack of medical supplies remaining in Gaza. * The Palestinian Red Crescent announced they were suspending all medical missions for 48 hours due to their inability to guarantee the safety of their staff.


27 February

* The Palestinian Red Crescent reported hundreds of people in Jabalia were showing signs of infectious diseases.


28 February

* A Doctors Without Borders director stated, "Healthcare has been attacked, it's collapsing. The whole system is collapsing. We are working from tents trying to do what we can." * Kamal Adwan Hospital was announced to be completely out of service. * Al-Awda Hospital, the last functional hospital in northern Gaza, announced it was suspending all medical services due to a lack of fuel or medical supplies.


29 February

* The Palestinian Red Crescent stated that many victims of the Al-Rashid massacre would not receive adequate treatment because "the numbers were beyond our capacity. As we speak, the entire health sector in Gaza is collapsing, it has run out of fuel." * Due to a lack of medical supplies and medical staff, cases at Kamal Adwan Hospital, the Indonesian Hospital, and al-Shifa Hospital of patients dying before being seen by staff were reported.


March 2024


1 March

* WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier stated, "The system in Gaza is on its knees. It's more than on its knees. All the lifelines in Gaza have more or less been cut."


3 March

* The Palestinian Red Crescent reported the al-Amal hospital was running out of supplies, stating, "Continuous shelling and gunfire around the hospital or directly targeting it endanger the safety of patients and medical teams".


4 March

* A Canadian doctor returning from two weeks in Gaza reported significant cases of "communicable disease, such as respiratory infections and gastrointestinal disease, including a major outbreak of Hepatitis A". * After the World Health Organization visited al-Awda and Kamal Adwan hospitals, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported "severe levels of malnutrition, children dying of starvation, serious shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies, hospital buildings destroyed".


6 March

* The World Health Organization stated 8,000 wounded people in Gaza needed referrals to receive treatment outside of Gaza.


9 March

* WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, "Almost 31,000 people have lost their lives, 72,000+ have been injured, thousands are missing. 406 attacks on health care, 118 health workers are in detention, 1 in 3 hospitals is only partially or minimally functional. When is enough enough?"


10 March

* The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported they could not accept new patients due to a lack of medical supplies, stating they could no longer provide quality care.


11 March

* UNOCHA reported that al-Ahli Hospital and the Sahaba Hospital in
Gaza City Gaza (;''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' (1998), , p. 761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory in Palestine, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza...". ar, غَزَّة ', ), also referred to as Gaza City, i ...
were overwhelmed by structural damaged, understaffing, and being undersupplied. * The Gaza Health Ministry stated that 2,000 of its medical staff in northern Gaza faced starvation due to
famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, Demographic trap, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. Th ...
. * WHO delivered medical supplies, food, and 24,050 liters of fuel to Al-Shifa Hospital. * Diabetic patients reported difficulty finding and receiving dialysis treatment due to shortages of supplies and staff.


14 March

* UNRWA stated 12 hospitals remained partially operational in Gaza, with only two offering maternity care.


16 March

* The head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies stated, "The healthcare situation is on the brink of collapse with hospitals facing desperate conditions". * A staff member with Doctors Without Borders, stated, "The current situation in Gaza is catastrophic and words can't describe it". * Dr. James Smith, a former staff at Al-Aqsa Hospital, stated the healthcare system collapsed in late-October 2023 and hadn't recovered due to "supplies, resources, specialists and so on required have either not entered into Gaza or where such commodities or resources made available, it is impossible to work in a context of such extreme violence and insecurity".


17 March

* Doctors in Rafah reported difficulties providing care, with one medical volunteer stating, "It's impossible for medical facilities to accommodate this number of patients. We're operating in a camp housing around 1.5 million people. We receive medications to cover a week, but they run out in just one day".


18 March

* Israel launched a raid on Al Shifa Hospital.


19 March

* Dr. Nick Maynard, a British doctor who worked in Gaza, stated, "What I saw at al-Aqsa Hospital was the worst cases in my 30-year career. Appalling clinical injuries, mostly upon children and women. Terrible burns, traumatic wounds, and no real room to deal with these tragic cases."


20 March

* Doctors from the US, UK and France who were involved in humanitarian missions in Gaza in recent months accused Israeli Defense Forces of systematically targeting healthcare facilities in Gaza and "dismantling the whole healthcare system". Professor Nick Maynard, formerly director for cancer services at
Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, said: "It's not just about targeting the buildings, it's about systematically destroying the infrastructure of the hospitals. Destroying the oxygen tanks at the al-Shifa hospital, deliberately destroying the
CT scanner A computed tomography scan (CT scan; formerly called computed axial tomography scan or CAT scan) is a medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body. The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers ...
s and making it much more difficult to rebuild that infrastructure. If it was just targeting Hamas militants, why are they deliberately destroying the infrastructure of these institutions?" Maynard said he had witnessed the indiscriminate killing of countless innocent civilians and had performed operations continuously for a fortnight, far more often on women than on men. He recalled seeing appalling burns and amputations on children, including a girl who had such severe burns that her facial bones were visible: "We knew there was no chance of her surviving that but there was no morphine to give her. So not only was she inevitably going to die but she would die in agony." In fact, Maynard added, the girl died lying on the hospital floor, as there was not even a bed available for her.


21 March

* The World Health Organization announced the creation of nutrition stabilisation centres at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, and a second one in Rafah. * 25 patients were ordered to be "returned" to Gaza from East Jerusalem.


22 March

* Jamie McGoldrick, the UN aid coordinator for Palestine, stated the Kamal Adwan Hospital was reaching its breaking point, stating, "They’re really struggling to provide the services required for the patients coming in, especially children".


25 March

* A surgeon at the European Gaza Hospital stated that staff were "managing with the bare minimum of resources". ** An anesthetist working with a medical team consisting of Medical Aid for Palestinians, the
International Rescue Committee The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global humanitarian aid, relief, and development nongovernmental organization. Founded in 1933 as the International Relief Association, at the request of Albert Einstein, and changing its name in 19 ...
, and the
Palestine Children's Relief Fund The Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-governmental organization established in 1991, by, according to its website, "concerned people in the U.S. to address the medical and humanitarian crisis facing Palestinian y ...
stated, "There are around 22,000 displaced people sheltering in the corridors and in tents inside the hospital because people feel that it’s safer to be here than anywhere else." * Three hospitals — al-Shifa Hospital, al-Amal, and Nasser hospitals — were besieged by Israeli forces.


27 March

* Hospitals in northern Gaza were running low on food, water and medical supplies.


28 March

* WHO deployed an emergency medical team to Kamal Adwan Hospital, including two surgeons, a doctor, and an anesthetist. ** WHO stated only 10 out of 36 hospitals remained operational. * The al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital treated 800 patients despite only having 160 beds. * The International Federation of the Red Cross stated northern Gaza's healthcare system "has been largely destroyed".


30 March

* WHO stated 9,000 patients need to be evacuated from Gaza to receive the necessary medical treatment.


April 2024


1 April

* Al Jazeera English reported that only four hospitals were "providing medical treatment for more than 85 percent of Gaza’s population." * The Gaza Health Ministry stated, "The health system has been subjected to repeated and direct targeting, which has brought the health system to almost complete paralysis".


16 April

* A senior
International Rescue Committee The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global humanitarian aid, relief, and development nongovernmental organization. Founded in 1933 as the International Relief Association, at the request of Albert Einstein, and changing its name in 19 ...
adviser stated, "No hospitals in Gaza are fully functioning any longer. IRC staff and partners in Gaza continue to witness devastation in the health facilities that are left".


22 April

* Tlaleng Mofokeng, the UN special rapporteur on the right to health, stated, "The health system in Gaza has been completely obliterated, and the right to health has been decimated at every level". * The Gaza Health Ministry stated a ground invasion of Rafah would eliminate "what little remains of the healthcare system and depriving the population of any health services".


24 April

* The director of the Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah stated, "Rafah governorate has become a continuous target... The Israeli occupation uses internationally prohibited weapons, and the type of injuries we receive is unprecedented, such as amputation of limbs and laceration of the body". * The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights stated that 300 people, including 80 children, were suffering from
thalassemia Thalassemias are inherited blood disorders characterized by decreased hemoglobin production. Symptoms depend on the type and can vary from none to severe. Often there is mild to severe anemia (low red blood cells or hemoglobin). Anemia can result ...
due to a lack of medication. * The Gaza Health Ministry reported an increase in hepatitis and meningitis cases and called for support from "all relevant national, international and humanitarian institutions".


May 2024


1 May

* The Palestinian Red Crescent stated that it was establishing a field hospital with Egypt and Kuwait in the
Al-Mawasi Al-Mawasi ( ar, المواصي) is a Palestinian Bedouin town on the southern coast of the Gaza Strip, approximately one kilometer wide and fourteen kilometers long, that prior to Israel's unilateral disengagement plan in 2005 existed as a Palesti ...
area near Khan Younis.


See also

* Attacks on health facilities during the Israel–Hamas war ** Al-Shifa Hospital siege ** Kamal Adwan Hospital siege ** Nasser Hospital siege * Gaza humanitarian crisis (2023–present) * Killing of health workers in the Israel–Hamas war


Notes


References


External links


Against every instinct: How doctors in Gaza persevere amid Israel attacks
(23 January 2024) {{Portalbar, Israel, Palestine, Medicine, Society, Health care Gaza Strip in the Israel–Hamas war Gaza Strip healthcare collapse Medicine timelines 2023 in the Gaza Strip 2024 in the Gaza Strip * Attacks on hospitals during the Israel–Hamas war