Gaza Humanitarian Crisis (2023–present)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...
is experiencing a
humanitarian crisis A humanitarian crisis (or sometimes humanitarian disaster) is defined as a singular event or a series of events that are threatening in terms of health, safety or well-being of a community or large group of people. It may be an internal or exter ...
as a result of the
Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
. The crisis includes both an impending
famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food caused by several possible factors, including, but not limited to war, natural disasters, crop failure, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenom ...
and a healthcare collapse. At the start of the
war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
, Israel tightened its blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in significant shortages of fuel, food, medication, water, and essential medical supplies. This siege resulted in a 90% drop in electricity availability, impacting hospital power supplies, sewage plants, and shutting down the desalination plants that provide drinking water. Doctors warned of disease outbreaks spreading due to overcrowded hospitals. Heavy bombardment by Israeli airstrikes caused catastrophic damage to Gaza’s infrastructure, further deepening the crisis. The
Gaza Health Ministry The Gaza Health Ministry (GHM), officially the Palestinian Ministry of Health – Gaza, is responsible for managing healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip. The health ministry's casualty reports have received significant attention d ...
reported over 4,000 children killed in the war's first month. UN Secretary General
António Guterres António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres (born 30 April 1949) is a Portuguese politician and diplomat who is serving as the ninth and current secretary-general of the United Nations since 2017. A member of the Socialist Party (Portugal), ...
stated Gaza had "become a graveyard for children." In May 2024, the
USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian United States foreign aid, foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 19 ...
head
Samantha Power Samantha Jane Power (born September 21, 1970) is an Irish-American journalist, diplomat, and government official who served as the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development from 2021 to 2025. She was the 28th Unite ...
stated that conditions in Gaza were "worse than ever before". Organizations such as
Doctors Without Borders Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded ...
, the
Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
, and a joint statement by
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
, the World Health Organization, the
UN Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...
,
United Nations Population Fund The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a United Nations System, UN agency aimed at improving reproductive health, reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies and protocols, incr ...
, and
World Food Programme The World Food Programme (WFP) is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals. Founded in 1961 ...
have warned of a dire humanitarian collapse. In early March 2025, Israel began a complete blockade of all food and supplies going into Gaza, ending only in late May with limited distribution by the controversial
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is an American organization, based in Delaware, established in February 2025 to distribute humanitarian aid during the ongoing Gaza humanitarian crisis. Formerly led by executive director Jake Wood until ...
.


Background

According to diplomats,
Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...
had repeatedly said in the months leading up to
7 October 2023 On October 7, 2023, Hamas and several other Palestinians, Palestinian militant groups launched coordinated armed incursions from the Gaza Strip into the Gaza envelope of southern Israel, the first invasion of Israeli territory since the 1948 ...
that it did not want another military escalation in Gaza as it would worsen the humanitarian crisis that occurred after the 2021 conflict.


Food and water


Famine


Water supply

Before the war, Gaza purchased a small share of its water from Israel (6% in 2021). Israel's blockade of water pipelines exacerbated water supply issues in the Gaza Strip, which already had a near lack of fit-to-drink
aquifers An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing material, consisting of permeability (Earth sciences), permeable or fractured rock, or of unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Aquifers vary greatly in their characteristics. The s ...
. On 12 October, the United Nations said that Israeli actions had caused water shortages affecting 650,000 people. On 14 October,
UNRWA The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA, pronounced ) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians who fl ...
announced Gaza no longer had clean drinking water, and two million people were at risk of death. On 15 October 2023, Israel agreed to resume water supply, but only in southern Gaza. Because Gaza's water pumps require electricity, the agreement did not ensure renewed water access. On 16 October, Minister of Energy Israel Katz said that water was available near southern
Khan Younis Khan Yunis (), also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus, is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and serves as the capital of the Khan Yunis Governorate. It has been largely destroyed during the Gaza war. Before the 14th century, Khan ...
, but the Gaza Interior Ministry denied this. By the same time, residents were drinking
seawater Seawater, or sea water, is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% (35 g/L, 35 ppt, 600 mM). This means that every kilogram (roughly one liter by volume) of seawater has approximat ...
and
brackish water Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuary ...
from farm wells, raising fears of
waterborne diseases Waterborne diseases are conditions (meaning adverse effects on human health, such as death, disability, illness or disorders) caused by pathogenic micro-organisms that are transmitted by water. These diseases can be spread while bathing, washing ...
. Doctors and hospital staff drank IV solution. By 17 October, the UN stated Gaza's last seawater desalination plant had shut down. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' stated fears were growing people had begun to die from dehydration. On 18 October, Israel announced it would not allow fuel to enter Gaza. The UNRWA stated fuel was needed to resume water pump operations. Some Gazans purchased water from private vendors who purified water with
solar panel A solar panel is a device that converts sunlight into electricity by using photovoltaic (PV) cells. PV cells are made of materials that produce excited electrons when exposed to light. These electrons flow through a circuit and produce direct ...
s. On 19 October, the UN reported Gazans were surviving on a daily average of three liters of water each. The
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
recommends a minimum of 50 to 100 liters per day. On 22 October, the UN stated Gazans had resorted to drinking dirty water. In November 2023, the UN stated many still relied on "brackish or saline ground water," if they were drinking any water at all. On 6 November,
OCHA 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 disaster ...
stated continued water shortages were raising fears of dehydration. UNRWA announced on 15 November that due to the lack of fuel, 70 percent of Gaza would no longer have access to clean water. On 17 November,
Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs), focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. It began as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief ...
stated Gaza's water supply was at seventeen percent of its pre-siege capacity. On 27 November, residents in northern Gaza received their first aid delivery of clean water since the war began.
Doctors Without Borders Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded ...
stated on 18 December 2023 the water system in Gaza had collapsed.
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
reported children in southern Gaza were receiving 1.5 liters of water a day, while the minimum amount for survival is 3 liters per day. As of December 6, the sole water desalination facility in northern Gaza was inoperative, while the pipeline that delivers water from Israel to the north remained shut, thereby heightening the likelihood of dehydration and waterborne illnesses due to the consumption of unsafe water sources. The impact on hospitals has been severe, as only one out of the 24 hospitals in northern Gaza is operational and capable of accepting new patients, albeit with limited services, as of December 14. On 13 December, Israel began pumping
seawater Seawater, or sea water, is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% (35 g/L, 35 ppt, 600 mM). This means that every kilogram (roughly one liter by volume) of seawater has approximat ...
into tunnels reportedly used by Hamas. Experts warned this would irreversibly damage Gaza's water aquifers and clearwater supply. The IDF acknowledged it was flooding the tunnels on 30 January. In January 2024, the Israeli army destroyed Gaza City’s main reservoirs, Al-Balad and Al-Rimal. The director of ambulance and emergency centres for Gaza stated on 20 January that the "struggle for water is a daily torment". The UNOCHA director for Gaza stated, "We can only meet a third of the population’s need for clean drinking water." In February 2024, the
Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...
stated water was at 7 percent of pre-October levels. In May 2024, the
Coastal Municipalities Water Utility The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility is the organization responsible for water and sanitation services in the Palestinian Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Medi ...
reported, "The entire water supply and sewage management systems are nearing total collapse because the damage is so extensive". UNOCHA stated some displaced people were surviving on 3 percent of minimum daily water needs. UNICEF made a deal with Israel in June 2024 to restore a desalination plant. In July 2024, the Israeli military stated it had allowed power to be restored to a desalination plant in Gaza. Children in Al-Mawasi were waiting six to eight hours a day looking for water, with officials stating facilities serving as many as 700,000 people were out of service. By August 2024, UNRWA warned that Gaza's water crisis had grown more severe, with people only receiving about half of the required liters of water per day. Children were reported to be drinking from puddles due to the lack of available drinking water.


Disease


Physical health and disease

Public health experts warned of the outbreak and spread of disease in Gaza. According to
Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs), focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. It began as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief ...
and the United Nations, Gaza's lack of clean water and
sanitation Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems ...
would trigger a rise in
cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...
and other deadly
infectious diseases infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...
. Oxfam stated Gaza's
sewage pumping stations Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged from residen ...
and
wastewater treatment Wastewater treatment is a process which removes and eliminates contaminants from wastewater. It thus converts it into an effluent that can be returned to the water cycle. Once back in the water cycle, the effluent creates an acceptable impact on ...
facilities had ceased operations, so the buildup of solid waste and unburied bodies were likely vectors of disease. Due to the lack of
clean drinking water Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also called ...
, Gaza residents were drinking water contaminated with
sewage Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewerage, sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged fro ...
,
seawater Seawater, or sea water, is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% (35 g/L, 35 ppt, 600 mM). This means that every kilogram (roughly one liter by volume) of seawater has approximat ...
, and
farm water Farm water, also known as agricultural water, is water committed for use in the production of food and fibre and collecting for further resources. In the US, some 80% of the fresh water withdrawn from rivers and groundwater is used to produce food ...
, another major source of disease. Richard Brennan, regional emergency director at
WHO The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 15 ...
, stated, "The conditions are ripe for the spread of a number of diarrhoeal and skin diseases". Doctors also warned of overcrowded conditions at schools and hospitals. Dr. Nahed Abu Taaema stated overcrowded shelters were "a prime breeding ground for disease to spread". Abu Taaema reported a rise in rashes, lung infections, and stomach issues. On 24 October, the
Gaza Health Ministry The Gaza Health Ministry (GHM), officially the Palestinian Ministry of Health – Gaza, is responsible for managing healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip. The health ministry's casualty reports have received significant attention d ...
recorded 3,150 cases of disease from drinking
contaminated water Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, with a negative impact on their uses. It is usually a result of human activities. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. W ...
, mostly among children. The lack of
medical supplies A medical device is any device intended to be used for medical purposes. Significant potential for hazards are inherent when using a device for medical purposes and thus medical devices must be proved safe and effective with reasonable assura ...
was another reported issue, as the World Health Organization reported a sanitation crisis in hospitals, with some struggling to sanitize
surgical equipment A surgical instrument is a medical device for performing specific actions or carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access for viewing it. Over time, many different kinds of ...
. Dr. Iyad Issa Abu Zaher stated, "The outbreak of disease is inevitable". UNRWA schools, where an estimated 600,000 Gazans were sheltering, reported outbreaks of
scabies Scabies (; also sometimes known as the seven-year itch) is a contagious human skin infestation by the tiny (0.2–0.45 mm) mite ''Sarcoptes scabiei'', variety ''hominis''. The word is from . The most common symptoms are severe itchiness a ...
and
chicken pox Chickenpox, also known as varicella ( ), is a highly contagious disease caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus family. The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which ...
, as well as a lack of basic hygiene for women
menstruating The menstrual cycle is a series of natural changes in hormone production and the structures of the uterus and ovaries of the female reproductive system that makes pregnancy possible. The ovarian cycle controls the production and release of eggs ...
. On 27 October,
Action Against Hunger Action Against Hunger () is a global humanitarian organization which originated in France and is committed to ending world hunger. The organization helps malnourished children and provides communities with access to safe water and sustainable s ...
warned people were developing
kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as renal failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney fa ...
due to the consumption of
salt water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish wate ...
and
dehydration In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water that disrupts metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds intake, often resulting from excessive sweating, health conditions, or inadequate consumption of water. Mild deh ...
. On 6 November,
OCHA 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 disaster ...
stated individuals with disabilities were suffering disproportionately due to the lack of accommodations in most shelters. UNRWA announced cases of respiratory infections, diarrhoea and chicken pox had been reported at its shelters. On 10 November, WHO stated infectious diseases, including diarrhea and chickenpox, were soaring across the Gaza Strip. OCHA stated accumulated waste in the streets risked the spread of airborne diseases and infestations of
insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...
s and
rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include '' Neotoma'' (pack rats), '' Bandicota'' (bandicoo ...
s. Doctors reported that due to a lack of fresh water and
iodine Iodine is a chemical element; it has symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists at standard conditions as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , and boils to a vi ...
, patients wounds were often infested with
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, hoverflies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and cr ...
s. Raw sewage overflowed in the streets, creating a health and
environmental disaster An environmental disaster or ecological disaster is defined as a catastrophic event regarding the natural environment that is due to human activity.Jared M. Diamond, '' Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed'', 2005 This point distingu ...
. On 8 November, the World Health Organization stated that since the start of the conflict, 33,551 cases of diarrhea had been reported, 8,944 cases of
scabies Scabies (; also sometimes known as the seven-year itch) is a contagious human skin infestation by the tiny (0.2–0.45 mm) mite ''Sarcoptes scabiei'', variety ''hominis''. The word is from . The most common symptoms are severe itchiness a ...
and
lice Louse (: lice) is the common name for any member of the infraorder Phthiraptera, which contains nearly 5,000 species of wingless parasitic insects. Phthiraptera was previously recognized as an order, until a 2021 genetic study determined th ...
, 1,005 cases of chickenpox, 12,635 cases of
skin rash A rash is a change of the skin that affects its color, appearance, or texture. A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin. Rashes may cause the skin to change color, itch, become warm, bumpy, chapped, dry, cracked ...
and 54,866 cases of
upper respiratory infection An upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) is an illness caused by an acute infection, which involves the upper respiratory tract, including the nose, sinuses, pharynx, larynx or trachea. This commonly includes nasal obstruction, sore throat, ...
s. On 17 November, WHO updated these numbers, stating there were 70,000 cases of acute respiratory infections and over 44,000 cases of diarrhea, which were significantly higher than expected.
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
warned the worsening sanitation situation threatened a mass disease outbreak. On 28 November, WHO stated more Palestinians risked dying from disease than bombings. UNRWA chief
Philippe Lazzarini Philippe Lazzarini (born 1964) is a Swiss-Italian humanitarian who has been serving as Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) since 2020. Early life and education La ...
warned of an impending humanitarian "tsunami" as people succumbed to disease and the deprivation of sanitation and clean water. A
Hepatitis A Hepatitis A is an infectious liver disease caused by Hepatitis A virus (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, is ...
outbreak was reported by the United Nations on 3 December. The UN reported disease outbreaks in southern Gaza shelters.
Volker Türk Volker Türk (born 27 August 1965) is an Austrian lawyer and United Nations official. He has been the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since October 2022. Career Early years In 1991, Türk became a UN Junior Professional Officer and ha ...
warned of unsanitary conditions amidst mass displacement in southern Gaza. On 7 December, the World Health Organization reported increases in acute respiratory infections, scabies,
jaundice Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or, less frequently, greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults is typically a sign indicating the presence of underlying diseases involving ...
, and diarrhea. On 13 December, 360,000 cases of infectious diseases were reported in shelters. On 20 December, WHO reported Gaza was experiencing "soaring rates of infectious disease outbreaks". On 29 December, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported 180,000 cases of upper respiratory infections, 136,400 cases of diarrhoea, 55,400 cases of lice and scabies, 5,330 cases of chickenpox, 42,700 cases of skin rash, and 4,722 cases of
impetigo Impetigo is a contagious bacterial infection that involves the superficial skin. The most common presentation is yellowish crusts on the face, arms, or legs. Less commonly there may be large blisters which affect the groin or armpits. The les ...
. Flooding in Gaza spread sewage water, raising fears of the spread of disease. On 19 January, Yahya Al-Sarraj, the mayor of
Gaza City Gaza City, also called Gaza, is a city in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Gaza Governorate. Located on the Mediterranean coast, southwest of Jerusalem, it was home to Port of Gaza, Palestine's only port. With a population of ...
, stated more than 50,000 tons of trash had accumulated in the city, further leading to the spread of disease. Parents reported children falling sick after being exposed to raw sewage. In his address to the UN Security Council on 31 January 2024, Martin Griffiths, the UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordination, provided a comprehensive overview of the challenges currently confronting numerous individuals in Gaza. According to our latest estimates, approximately 75 percent of the entire population has been displaced. The living conditions they endure are deplorable and deteriorating with each passing day. The makeshift tent camps, established by refugees and displaced people, are being inundated by heavy rains, compelling children, parents, and the elderly to seek shelter in the mud. The issue of food insecurity continues to escalate, while access to clean water remains almost entirely unattainable. Given the limited availability of public health support, preventable diseases are rampant and will persistently propagate. On 4 March, the Gaza Health Ministry stated they had recorded about one million cases of infectious diseases. The situation in Gaza is worsening, leading to the spread of diseases due to the lack of clean water and insufficient sewage facilities. According to the United Nations, the people in Gaza are facing a shortage of water and hygiene materials, which is negatively impacting their overall well-being and physical health. Additionally, the accumulation of solid waste in public areas, hospitals, IDP shelters, and other locations is a major concern as it poses significant risks to public health. The uncollected waste, amounting to tens of thousands of tons, is exacerbating these risks. In April 2024, the Gaza Media Office stated environmental contamination in northern Gaza had reached "unprecedented levels" due to "mountains of waste and hundreds of mass graves". In May 2024, the UN stated, "Mosquitoes, flies and rats are spreading, and so are diseases." Oxfam reported the threat of disease outbreaks due to an accumulation of "human waste and rivers of sewage in the streets". In July 2024,
poliovirus Poliovirus, the causative agent of polio (also known as poliomyelitis), is a serotype of the species '' Enterovirus C'', in the family of '' Picornaviridae''. There are three poliovirus serotypes, numbered 1, 2, and 3. Poliovirus is composed ...
was detected in Gaza's sewage water. On 29 July, The Gaza Health Ministry officially declared a polio epidemic in the Gaza Strip. According to a letter sent to President Joseph R. Biden, Vice President Kamala D. Harris, and others on October 2, 2024 by 99 American healthcare workers who have served in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, and cited in a study from the
Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, soon to be renamed Watson School for International and Public Affairs, is an interdisciplinary research center at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Its mission is to promote a ...
at
Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...
, at least 5,000 people in Gaza have died due to a lack of access to care for chronic diseases according to a conservative estimate.


Psychological health

Weeks of continuous air strikes and explosions have contributed to the psychological destruction of children in Gaza. Following 16 days of bombardment, children developed severe trauma, with symptoms including convulsion, aggression, bed-wetting, and nervousness. 90% of children in pediatric hospitals in Gaza exhibited or reported symptoms of anxiety, the majority exhibited post-traumatic stress symptoms, and 82% reported fears of imminent death. On 6 November,
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
spokesman Toby Fricker warned of the psychological impacts and "massive stress" experienced by children in Gaza. On 17 November, WHO chief
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (, sometimes spelled ; born 3 March 1965) is an Ethiopian public health official, researcher, diplomat, and the DGWHO, Director-General of the World Health Organization since 2017. He is the first African to become W ...
stated 20,000 people were in need of specialized mental health services. On 9 January 2024,
OCHA 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 disaster ...
reported 485,000 people with mental health issues were experiencing care disruption.


Healthcare

The healthcare system of Gaza faced several humanitarian crises as a result of the conflict. Due to Israel's siege, hospitals faced a lack of fuel and relied on
backup generator An emergency power system is an independent source of electrical power that supports important electrical systems on loss of normal power supply. A standby power system may include a standby generator, batteries and other apparatus. Emergenc ...
s 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. When hospitals lost power completely, multiple
premature babies Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks gestational age, as opposed to full-term delivery at approximately 40 weeks. Extreme preterm is less than 28 weeks, very early preterm birth is betwee ...
in NICUs died. Numerous medical staffers were killed by Israeli airstrikes, 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 (GHM), officially the Palestinian Ministry of Health – Gaza, is responsible for managing healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip. The health ministry's casualty reports have received significant attention d ...
stated the healthcare system had "totally collapsed". By 5 January 2024, the World Health Organization reported there had been 304 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza since 7 October, with 606 deaths. On 24 January, WHO stated seven out of 24 hospitals remained partially operational in Northern Gaza, and seven out of 12 in Southern Gaza. On 26 January, a senior
OHCHR The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a department of the United Nations Secretariat that works to promote and protect human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Univers ...
official stated, "I fear that many more civilians will die. The continued attacks on specially protected facilities, such as hospitals, will kill civilians". The same day, a
Doctors Without Borders Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded ...
coordinator stated, "There is no longer a healthcare system in Gaza." A senior technical adviser with 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 1 ...
stated, "There’s nothing that could have prepared me for the horrors that I saw." In May 2024, the
UN Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...
stated the conflict could reduce levels of health back to 1980 levels.


Supplies shortages

Following the shutdown of the Gaza Strip power station on 11 October, it was reported that hospitals in Gaza would soon run out of available fuel to power generators. 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 po ...
crisis, with hundreds sharing only 24 dialysis machines. WHO announced it could no longer resupply al-Shifa and al-Quds hospitals due to the high levels of risk. In November, 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 (anatomy), limb or other body part by Physical trauma, 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 cancer, malign ...
s and
C-sections Caesarean section, also known as C-section, cesarean, or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen. It is often performed because vaginal delivery would ...
were performed without anesthetic due to shortages of supplies. On 8 November, Al-Quds completely ran out of fuel and shut down most services. On 13 November, Kamal Adwan Hospital ran out of fuel. The al-Amal Hospital's only generator shut down. On 6 December, Doctors Without Borders stated fuel and medical supplies at al-Aqsa hospital were critically low. Doctors at
Nasser Medical Complex The Nasser Hospital (or Nasser Medical Complex) is one of the largest hospitals in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. During the Gaza war, Nasser was one of the final active hospitals in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, and was one of the last f ...
in
Khan Younis Khan Yunis (), also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus, is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and serves as the capital of the Khan Yunis Governorate. It has been largely destroyed during the Gaza war. Before the 14th century, Khan ...
described a lack of supplies and barely any medical functionality. From 11 October 2023 onwards, the Gaza Strip has experienced a complete lack of electricity due to the Israeli authorities discontinuing the power supply and depleting the fuel reserves for Gaza's only power plant. The United Nations has observed that this ongoing blackout, along with the shutdown of communications and industrial fuel, is greatly impeding the aid community's ability to assess and effectively address the worsening humanitarian crisis.


Attacks and destruction

On 14 October, the Diagnostic Cancer Treatment Centre of the
Al-Ahli Arab Hospital Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital (), usually called the Baptist Hospital for short (), is a hospital in the Gaza Strip. Its headquarters are located in the Zeitoun neighborhood in the south of Gaza City, Palestine, and it is managed by the Episc ...
was partially destroyed by Israeli rocket fire. In a statement on 15 October, the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
stated four hospitals were no longer functioning after being targeted by Israeli airstrikes. On 17 October, a widely condemned explosion in the al-Ahli courtyard resulted in significant fatalities. On 30 October, the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital was severely damaged by an Israeli airstrike. On 9 November, the Gaza government media office stated Israel had bombed eight hospitals in the past three days. Israeli tanks surrounded four hospitals,
al-Rantisi Hospital Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi Hospital () is a children's hospital in the Nasser neighborhood of Gaza City, Palestine. It is named after Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, leader and co-founder of Hamas. The hospital's pediatric palliative care unit, the Dr. Musa A ...
, 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, leading the director of the Al-Shifa hospital to state, "Israel is now launching a war on Gaza City hospitals." The strikes resulted in multiple casualties. The Palestinian Red Crescent claimed Israeli snipers opened fire on children at al-Quds hospital, killing one and wounding 28. On 20 November, Israel launched an offensive on Indonesia Hospital 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. Four doctors were reported killed after Israel bombed al-Awda Hospital on 22 November. The Kamal Adwan hospital stated Israeli bombings increased around the hospital. On 25 November, the director general of the Ministry of Health stated the Israeli military shot at medical teams during the temporary ceasefire in effect. The director of the European Hospital stated its paramedics had been wounded in Israeli airstrikes. On 11 December, MSF stated one of its doctors inside Al Awda Hospital had been injured by an Israeli sniper. By 18 January 2024, none of Gaza's hospitals remained fully operational. On 19 January 2024, the Jordanian government reported that the Israeli military had deliberately targeted its new field hospital in
Khan Younis Khan Yunis (), also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus, is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and serves as the capital of the Khan Yunis Governorate. It has been largely destroyed during the Gaza war. Before the 14th century, Khan ...
, using a tank to block the hospital entrance and shooting at the hospital and bunker shelters. On 24 January, the World Health Organization stated it had recorded a total of 660 Israeli attacks on healthcare facilities. According to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, the hostilities in Gaza and Israel have “created appalling human suffering, physical destruction and collective trauma across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory”.


Al-Shifa Hospital

In early November, Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza experienced a surge in Israeli attacks, with the facility being bombed five times in 24 hours. Families attempting to leave the complex were reportedly shot and killed.
Physicians for Human Rights Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a US-based not-for-profit human rights NGO that uses medicine and science to document and advocate against mass atrocities and severe human rights violations around the world. PHR headquarters are in New Y ...
documented the deaths of two premature babies at Al-Shifa due to electricity shortages. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari pledged assistance in evacuating babies, but the Gaza Health Ministry asserted a lack of provided mechanisms. On November 12, the hospital's director-general stated that 650 patients at Al-Shifa were in danger due to the catastrophic situation, including the destruction of the cardiac ward. Doctors Without Borders reported dire conditions at Al-Shifa Hospital, citing a lack of essentials like food, water, and electricity, with reports of a sniper targeting patients. Israel's raid on the hospital on 15 November was described as an unimaginable nightmare. Witnesses stated that Israel did not provide aid or supplies. The hospital faced challenges, including decomposing bodies and maggot-infested wounds, due to a lack of essential resources. Amid deteriorating conditions, an
evacuation Evacuation or Evacuate may refer to: * Casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), patient evacuation in combat situations * Casualty movement, the procedure for moving a casualty from its initial location to an ambulance * Emergency evacuation, removal of pers ...
of Al-Shifa began on November 18. Ismail al-Thawabta, a Palestinian media office spokesperson, asserted that patients moved to other facilities faced a perilous fate.
ActionAid ActionAid is an international non-governmental organization whose stated primary aim is to work against poverty and injustice worldwide. ActionAid is a federation of 45 country offices that works with communities, often via local partner organi ...
characterized the evacuation as a death sentence. Concerns were raised about the adequacy of aid. The World Health Organization and the Palestinian Red Crescent participated in evacuation plans, aiming to transfer patients to alternative medical facilities. The hospital stated six doctors would remain behind with 120 patients too sick to be transferred. A humanitarian team from the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
visited al-Shifa and found a lack of food, water, or medicine, with signs of gunfire and a
mass grave A mass grave is a grave containing multiple human corpses, which may or may Unidentified decedent, not be identified prior to burial. The United Nations has defined a criminal mass grave as a burial site containing three or more victims of exec ...
. 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. On 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 The Nasser Hospital (or Nasser Medical Complex) is one of the largest hospitals in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. During the Gaza war, Nasser was one of the final active hospitals in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, and was one of the last f ...
and European Gaza Hospital in the next 2–3 days. 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. On 22 November, the Palestinian Red Crescent stated fourteen ambulances had arrived at al-Shifa to evacuate the hospital's remaining patients. On 26 November, the conditions for remaining patients at al-Shifa were reportedly dire. On 27 November, the Ministry of Health reported a volunteer effort at al-Shifa hospital sought to restart the dialysis department. By 28 November, the dialysis unit was reportedly reopened and receiving patients. On 7 December, the Gaza Health Ministry stated only basic
first aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with a medical emergency, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery until medical services arrive. First aid is gener ...
was being delivered at
Al-Shifa Hospital Al-Shifa Hospital ( ''Mustašfā aš-Šifāʾ'' ) was the largest medical complex and central hospital in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, located in the neighborhood of northern Rimal in Gaza City. The hospital was first established by the govern ...
.


Kamal Adwan Hospital

On 3 December, the IDF bombed the Kamal Adwan hospital, killing at least four people. Attacks in the vicinity of Kamal Adwan hospital were reported on 5 December. 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. Israel raided the Kamal Adwan Hospital. In response, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated WHO was extremely worried for Kamal Adwan's medical staff.


Al-Aqsa Hospital

Beginning on 6 January, doctors at Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital reported that Israeli fire was nearing the hospital. Tens of thousands of people were reported to be sheltering at the hospital. British doctor Nick Maynard stated his medical team was forced to evacuate the hospital as Israeli troops attacked the hospital.
Medical Aid for Palestinians Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) is a British charitable organization, charity that offers medical services in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Gaza and Lebanon, and advocates for Palestinians' rights to health and dignity. It is in List of organiza ...
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 1 ...
both also evacuated their medical teams when the IDF dropped leaflets telling nearby residents they were in a "dangerous combat zone." Following a visit to the hospital, the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
found 70% of staff and many patients had fled. Doctors reported many patients who were physically unable to move, and that conditions were rapidly deteriorating, with one doctor stating, "A child came in alive, literally burnt to the bone, their hands were contracting. Their face was just charcoal, and they were alive and talking. And we had no morphine." In an interview with ''
NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
'' on 10 January, one American doctor described the situation at Al-Aqsa as the "stuff of nightmares".
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (, sometimes spelled ; born 3 March 1965) is an Ethiopian public health official, researcher, diplomat, and the DGWHO, Director-General of the World Health Organization since 2017. He is the first African to become W ...
, the World Health Organization chief, stated, "Three months into this conflict, it is inconceivable that this most essential need — the protection of health care — is not assured." Health professionals and doctors warned of the danger of Al-Aqsa's closure since it was the last remaining hospital in the entirety of central Gaza. On 13 January, the hospital ran out of fuel to power its generators, leading to a blackout that threatened patients. The hospital again ran out of fuel in late-May 2024.


Evacuation challenges

On 14 October, Israel ordered the evacuation of 22 hospitals in northern Gaza. The WHO described the 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. Doctors at al-Quds Hospital and the
Palestine Red Crescent The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS; ) is the humanitarian organization that is the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in the State of Palestine, which includes the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. ...
reported they received a call from the Israeli army to evacuate the hospital or "bear the consequences". On 29 October, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that it had received warnings from Israeli authorities to immediately evacuate al-Quds hospital as it was “going to be bombarded”. That day, an Israeli airstrike struck 20 metres (65 feet) from the hospital. Mai al-Kaila, 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." The director of the Nasr Hospital stated it had been evacuated under threat of Israeli weapons and tanks. Fighting near Al-Quds Hospital halted evacuation efforts. On 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. On 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 (GHM), officially the Palestinian Ministry of Health – Gaza, is responsible for managing healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip. The health ministry's casualty reports have received significant attention d ...
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. Hospitals in northern Gaza, including
al-Ahli Arab Hospital Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital (), usually called the Baptist Hospital for short (), is a hospital in the Gaza Strip. Its headquarters are located in the Zeitoun neighborhood in the south of Gaza City, Palestine, and it is managed by the Episc ...
, were evacuated by the World Health Organization and the Red Cross. The Health Ministry stated hundreds needed to be evacuated from Gaza to receive medical care. A spokesman for the Gaza crossing authority stated the
Rafah crossing The Rafah Border Crossing () or Rafah Crossing Point is the sole crossing point between Egypt and Palestine's Gaza Strip. The Rafah crossing was opened by Israel after the 1979 peace treaty and remained under Israeli control until 2005, when ...
remained opened for the evacuation of the sick and wounded. On 7 December, the Palestinian Red Crescent stated 60 percent of the wounded in Gaza required urgent medical treatment abroad. Doctors Without Borders stated on 10 December stated that the Israeli army had forced them to evacuate the Martyrs and Beni Shueila clinics, and that healthcare had completely collapsed.


International aid

The
Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
stated Gaza's entire health system was "on its knees".
Medical Aid for Palestinians Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) is a British charitable organization, charity that offers medical services in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Gaza and Lebanon, and advocates for Palestinians' rights to health and dignity. It is in List of organiza ...
and
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
issued an "urgent warning" that 130
premature babies Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks gestational age, as opposed to full-term delivery at approximately 40 weeks. Extreme preterm is less than 28 weeks, very early preterm birth is betwee ...
would die if fuel did not reach Gaza hospitals soon. A UN statement signed by five major branches stated deaths could soon "skyrocket" from disease and "lack of healthcare". On 23 October, the Indonesia Hospital ran out of fuel and completely lost power. The World Health Organization warned 46 of Gaza's 72 healthcare facilities had stopped functioning. On 8 November, the Ministry of Defence of Italy announced it was sending a
hospital ship A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating healthcare, medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navy, navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or ...
to the coast of Gaza, in order to guarantee Palestinian civilians access to health services, essential goods and medical drugs. The ship, named ''Vulcano'' ("Volcano"), initially had 170 staff members on board, 30 of whom trained for medical emergencies; 28 more members between physicians, nurses and biologists were set to join the expedition in a later phase. By early-December, the medical staff started performing emergency surgical operations for injured Palestinian patients who were either at risk of amputation, or waiting to be moved to the Children Hospital in
Doha Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
. On 5 February 2024, it was announced that the ''Vulcano'' had returned to Italy and arrived at the seaport of
La Spezia La Spezia (, or ; ; , in the local ) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second-largest city in the Liguria ...
, carrying 60 Palestinian people, 14 of which were children in need of specialized healthcare, although none of them suffered from life-threatening conditions or injuries. All of the children were set to be transferred to various hospitals in
Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
,
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
,
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
,
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
and
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
. On 9 November, Health Minister
Fahrettin Koca Fahrettin Koca (born 2 January 1965) is a Turkish physician and politician. He was the minister of health of the 67th government of Turkey. Early life and education Fahrettin Koca was born on 2 January 1965 into a Kurdish family in the village ...
announced Turkey was prepared to receive Gaza's pediatric cancer patients. On 10 November, the
International Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a aid agency, humanitarian organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a three-time Nobel Prize laureate. The organization has played an instrumental role in the development of Law of ...
stated Gaza's healthcare system had "reached a point of no return." The
Government of Jordan The politics of Jordan takes place in a framework of a parliamentary monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister of Jordan is head of government, and of a multi-party system. Jordan is a constitutional monarchy based on the constitution promulgated on ...
reported Israel had ordered their field hospital to be evacuated and stated they would not comply. Italy and the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
stated they were considering establishing a field hospital in Gaza. A French warship was dispatched as a temporary hospital. On 2 December, Saudi Arabia donated six ambulances to the Palestinian Red Crescent. On 3 December, a
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
spokesman described Nasser Hospital as a "death zone." WHO chief
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (, sometimes spelled ; born 3 March 1965) is an Ethiopian public health official, researcher, diplomat, and the DGWHO, Director-General of the World Health Organization since 2017. He is the first African to become W ...
stated fighting in southern Gaza was making it increasingly difficult to run health operations. On 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." On 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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.


Additional challenges

On 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 cap ...
meant wounded civilians could not dial emergency services. Ambulances were then evenly geographically distributed to provide "faster access to the injured." A surgeon at Al-Ahli hospital stated on 18 November they had run out of blood for transfusions. Doctors in south Gaza reported a lack of beds and supplies. By 8 December, an estimated 286 health workers in Gaza had been killed by Israel. On 4 December, Doctors Without Borders stated hospitals in southern Gaza were overflowing with wounded patients. The Ministry of Health stated 50,000 people had been wounded since the start of the conflict. The Red Crescent stated al-Quds was completely out of service on 12 November, as Al-Shifa also stopped receiving patients. On 16 November, the Indonesia Hospital completely shut down, leaving 45 patients in need of surgery.
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 disaster ...
stated only four small hospitals in northern Gaza and eight health facilities in southern Gaza were still functioning. On 30 November, WHO chief
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (, sometimes spelled ; born 3 March 1965) is an Ethiopian public health official, researcher, diplomat, and the DGWHO, Director-General of the World Health Organization since 2017. He is the first African to become W ...
stated the health needs of Gaza had increased dramatically, though only one-third of its health facilities were functioning. On 9 January, Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for Israel and Palestine, stated, "I’ve never seen so many amputees in my life, including among children. This will have such a long-term impact on everything." On 18 January, the United Nations reported patients were dying even while hospitalized because Gaza's remaining hospitals were overwhelmed with tens of thousands of wounded people.


Airstrikes


October

In just one week, Israel dropped more than 6,000 bombs on Gaza. Israel's airstrikes were described as a
carpet bombing Carpet bombing, also known as saturation bombing, is a large area bombardment done in a progressive manner to inflict damage in every part of a selected area of land. The phrase evokes the image of explosions completely covering an area, in t ...
and " indiscriminate". By 16 October, airstrikes had killed 2,750 people, including more than 700 children, and wounded nearly 10,000. An additional 1,000 people were missing beneath rubble. On 16 October, Israeli airstrikes destroyed a UNRWA humanitarian aid supply depot. The same day, airstrikes destroyed the headquarters of the
Palestinian Civil Defence The Palestinian Civil Defence (PCD; ) is one of the main branches of the Palestinian Security Services under direct responsibility of the Minister of the Interior. The organization is responsible for emergency services and rescue in areas under ...
, the agency responsible for emergency response services, including
firefighting Firefighting is a profession aimed at controlling and extinguishing fire. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter or fireman. Firefighters typically undergo a high degree of technical training. This involves structural fir ...
and
search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
. On 17 October, Israel conducted intensive airstrikes in southern Gaza, in areas it told residents to seek refuge. An airstrike at a UNRWA school killed at least six people. On 18 October, the Ahmed Abdel Aziz School in Khan Yunis was hit. On the same day, the death toll in Gaza had risen to 3,478. On 19 October, an Israeli airstrike hit the
Church of Saint Porphyrius The Church of Saint Porphyrius (, ; ) is a Greek Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City, Palestine. It belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and is the oldest active church in the city. Located in the Zaytun Quart ...
, where 500 people were sheltering. Israel "pounded" areas in south Gaza it had declared as "safe zones", raising fears amongst residents that nowhere was safe. On 19 October, U.S. officials reported alarm at Israeli comments about the "inevitability of civilian casualties", after it used the
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki On 6 and 9 August 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, during World War II. The aerial bombings killed between 150,000 and 246,000 people, most of whom were civili ...
as historical comparisons for their Gaza campaign. On 20 October, Israeli continued to bombard south Gaza. IDF spokesman Nir Dinar said, "There are no safe zones". On 21 October, Israel intensified its airstrikes in advance of an expected ground invasion. On 22 October, Israeli airplanes bombed the areas around the Al Shifa and Al Quds hospitals on a night described as the "bloodiest" of the conflict so far. On 23 October, airstrikes killed 436 people in the
al-Shati camp Al-Shati (), also known as Shati or Beach camp, is a Palestinian refugee camp located in the northern Gaza Strip along the Mediterranean Sea coastline in the Gaza Governorate, and more specifically Gaza City. Al-Shati was established in 1948 f ...
and southern Khan Younis in just one night. On 26 October, Israeli PM
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...
stated Israel had "already eliminated thousands of terrorists – and this is only the beginning". On 27 October, WHO stated more than 1,000 unidentified people were buried under rubble. By 28 October, the Israeli Air Force bombed residential buildings without any prior warning, killing an estimated 50 people per hour. On 29 October, the IDF bombed the area around the Al-Quds hospital. On 30 October, Israel bombed the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital. On 31 October, an airstrike on the
Jabalia refugee camp Jabalia Camp () is a Palestinian refugee camp in the North Gaza Governorate of the Gaza Strip, north of Jabalia. It is the largest refugee camp in Palestine, with more than 100,000 inhabitants. The camp only covers an area of 1.4 km2 making i ...
was described as a "massive massacre."


November

On 3 November, the Health Ministry stated 1,200 children were buried under rubble, 136 paramedics had been killed, and 25 ambulance vehicles had been destroyed. On the same day, Israel bombed a medical convoy outside of al-Shifa hospital. The IDF claimed the ambulance was being used by Hamas, leading Queen's University professor Ardi Imseis to state Israel needed to prove its claim. The IDF also bombed the Osama Ben Zaid school. On 4 November, Israel bombed the al-Fakhoora School, killing at least fifteen people. Journalists reported Israel was targeting
solar panel A solar panel is a device that converts sunlight into electricity by using photovoltaic (PV) cells. PV cells are made of materials that produce excited electrons when exposed to light. These electrons flow through a circuit and produce direct ...
s and personal generators. On 5 November, Israel bombed and destroyed
Al-Azhar University The Al-Azhar University ( ; , , ) is a public university in Cairo, Egypt. Associated with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Islamic Cairo, it is Egypt's oldest degree-granting university and is known as one of the most prestigious universities for Islamic ...
. On 6 November, at least eight people died in airstrikes on the
Nasser Medical Complex The Nasser Hospital (or Nasser Medical Complex) is one of the largest hospitals in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. During the Gaza war, Nasser was one of the final active hospitals in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, and was one of the last f ...
. On 8 November, Israel bombed and destroyed the Khalid bin al-Walid Mosque. On 12 November, Israel used
earthquake bomb The earthquake bomb, or seismic bomb, was a concept that was invented by the British aeronautical engineer Barnes Wallis early in World War II and subsequently developed and used during the war against strategic targets in Europe. A seismic bomb ...
s on an apartment complex in Khan Younis, killing at least thirteen people. On 13 November, an Israeli airstrike on the Jabalia refugee camp killed thirty people, with Gaza's civil defence team unable to rescue injured people from the rubble due to a lack of equipment. According to sources, both Israeli and Western, Hamas placed military facilities under schools, hospitals and mosques throughout Gaza (including Al-Shifa and the Indonesia Hospital), or used them as cover for its fighters. According to ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', there were indications of Hamas' use of hospitals, schools and residential building as early as
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
. These claims have been disputed, however, including by organizations like
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
,
UNRWA The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA, pronounced ) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians who fl ...
, and the Palestinian Red Crescent. The
Government of Qatar The political system of Qatar runs under an authoritarian semi-constitutional monarchy with the emir as head of state and chief executive, and the prime minister as the head of government. Under the Constitution of Qatar, the partially-elected ...
has criticized the lack of either concrete evidence or independent investigations, and both Palestinian and international medical staff have disputed them.
Michael Lynk Stanley Michael Lynk (born 1952) is a Canadian legal academic. He is currently an associate professor at the University of Western Ontario. From 2016 to 2022 he was the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Terr ...
stated Israel's claims were used to prepare "public opinion for the attacks to come". On 15 November, Gaza's last remaining
flour mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...
was hit by an Israeli airstrike. On 17 November, dozens were reported killed after an airstrike on al-Falah School in the Zeitoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City. The following day, 26 people were killed in an airstrike of a residential building in southern Gaza. A strike on the Al-Fakhoora school reportedly killed at least 50. Deaf, blind, and intellectually handicapped individuals were at particular risk of death by airstrikes. Following Israel's evacuation orders for Palestinians to flee northern Gaza, the IDF intensified its attacks on southern Gaza. It again intensified strikes across Gaza before the temporary November ceasefire. By 26 November, Israel dropped an estimated 40,000 tons of explosives on Gaza.


December

In the hours following the end of the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas, 109 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes. On 2 December, the IDF stated it had struck at least 400 locations in Gaza since the pause had ended, including 50 in
Khan Younis Khan Yunis (), also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus, is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and serves as the capital of the Khan Yunis Governorate. It has been largely destroyed during the Gaza war. Before the 14th century, Khan ...
in southern Gaza. On 3 December, the
Palestinian Civil Defence The Palestinian Civil Defence (PCD; ) is one of the main branches of the Palestinian Security Services under direct responsibility of the Minister of the Interior. The organization is responsible for emergency services and rescue in areas under ...
stated the situation "beyond dire" as the organization was unable to rescue many people buried under rubble. The same day, 700 were reported killed in the preceding twenty-four hours. Some individuals were rescued by aid workers after reportedly surviving several days buried underneath rubble.
Robert Pape Robert Anthony Pape (; born April 24, 1960) is an American political scientist who studies national and international security affairs, with a focus on air power, political violence, social media propaganda, and terrorism. He is currently a pr ...
stated, "Gaza will also go down as a place name denoting one of history’s heaviest conventional bombing campaigns." On 8 December, 350 people were reportedly killed in the preceding twenty-four hours. On 9 December, the Palestinian Civil Defence stated it only had one operational rescue vehicle left in the entirety of northern Gaza. On 13 December, a UNRWA school in
Beit Hanoun Beit Hanoun or Beit Hanun () is a Palestinian city on the northeast edge of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 52,237 in 2017. As a result of the ongoing Gaza war, Beit Hanou ...
was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. On 14 December, a US intelligence report found half of the bombs dropped on Gaza had been
unguided bomb An unguided bomb, also known as a free-fall bomb, gravity bomb, dumb bomb, or iron bomb, is an aircraft-dropped bomb (conventional or nuclear) that does not contain a guidance system and hence simply follows a ballistic trajectory. It includes ...
s. A ''
Sky News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel, live stream news network and news organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of ...
'' analysis found Israel was directly targeting areas that it was telling people to flee to. Experts stated the bombing campaign against Gaza had been the deadliest and most destructive in modern history, with Corey Scher of the
CUNY Graduate Center The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York (CUNY Graduate Center) is a public research institution and postgraduate university in New York City. Formed in 1961 as Division of Graduate Studies at City University ...
stating, "Gaza is now a different color from space." ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' described the Israeli bombing in Gaza as the "most devastating urban warfare in the modern record". Torrential rains caused flooding, which raised fears of disease spread.


January

On 5 January 2024, evacuees fleeing Israeli attacks in central Gaza stated the situation there was "hell on Earth." One survivor of an Israeli airstrike wrote, "Even though that air strike did not kill us, it destroyed something inside us." On 12 January, the UN Secretary-General for Human Rights stated that at least 319 internally displaced persons were killed and 1,135 injured by Israeli airstrikes while sheltering in UN shelters. As of January 2024, Israel’s offensive has either damaged or destroyed 70–80% of all buildings in northern Gaza. Numerous casualties were reported in an airstrike on a residential building near
Nasser Medical Complex The Nasser Hospital (or Nasser Medical Complex) is one of the largest hospitals in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. During the Gaza war, Nasser was one of the final active hospitals in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, and was one of the last f ...
in
Khan Younis Khan Yunis (), also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus, is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and serves as the capital of the Khan Yunis Governorate. It has been largely destroyed during the Gaza war. Before the 14th century, Khan ...
, with hospital staff reporting having to bury 40 bodies on the hospital grounds. By 30 January, at least half of all buildings in the entirety of Gaza had been destroyed or damaged.


February

On 2 February 2024,
UNOSAT UNOSAT is the United Nations Satellite Centre. It is hosted at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), with the mission to promote evidence-based decision making for peace, security and resilience using geo-spatial info ...
, the UN's satellite centre, found that 69,147 structures, or approximately 30 percent of Gaza's total buildings, had been damaged or destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, shelling, and demolitions. The ''New York Times'' estimated that at least half of Gaza's buildings had been damaged or destroyed. Israeli bombing campaigns intensified in central Gaza, as displaced people in
Rafah Rafah ( ) is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Rafah Governorate. It is located south-west of Gaza City. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889. Due to the Gaza war, about 1.4 million people from Gaza C ...
grew fearful of an impending Israeli attack on the city.


Displacement

On 10 October, the United Nations said the fighting had displaced more than 423,000 Palestinians, while Israeli airstrikes had destroyed 1,000 homes and rendered 560 housing units uninhabitable. By 15 October, an estimated 1 million people in Gaza had been displaced, many of them fleeing northern Gaza following Israel's mandated evacuation. Due to continued heavy Israeli bombing in south Gaza, some northern Gazan refugees moved back to Gaza City. On 19 October, the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs stated 98,000 houses, or 1 in every 4 homes in Gaza, had been destroyed by Israeli bombardments. On 21 October, the UNRWA stated 500,000 people were sheltering in UN facilities, and conditions had grown "untenable". By the end of October this had grown to over 670,000 people. Many others sheltered in hospitals. By 22 October, the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs stated 42% of homes in Gaza had been destroyed. By 23 October, an estimated 1.4 million people in Gaza had been left
homeless Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...
. On 30 October, the Red Cross stated it would take years to rebuild destroyed homes and infrastructure. On 2 November, UNRWA stated 50 of its buildings and assets had been affected by Israeli strikes, including four shelters. On 6 November, ''
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN; , ) is a private-media conglomerate headquartered in Wadi Al Sail, Doha, funded in part by the government of Qatar. The network's flagship channels include Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Jazeera English, which pro ...
'' journalist Hani Mahmoud described southern Gaza as a large
concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...
. As the fighting in Gaza City intensified, the IDF announced a daily four-hour window for residents to move south, leading to thousands fleeing the city. On 10 November, an Israeli spokesman stated 100,000 people had fled northern Gaza in the prior two days. On 11 November,
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
stated thousands of children in northern Gaza were "hanging on by a thread." On 12 November,
CARE International CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, formerly Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe) is a major international humanitarian agency delivering emergency relief and long-term international development projects. Founded i ...
stated, "The journey to the south is incredibly dangerous and hard. Many of those who have made it out have experienced and witnessed terrible suffering." On 14 November,
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
stated, "There is no reliably safe route to evacuate. Satellite imagery confirms fires, military operations, and roadblocks on every conceivable route." By 20 November, satellite imagery showed half of northern Gaza had been destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. The ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'' described northern Gaza as a "bombed-out wasteland." Palestinians feared northern Gaza was becoming uninhabitable. By 28 November, the UN estimated 60 percent of all housing in Gaza had been destroyed. The ''Financial Times'' estimated it would cost billions to rebuild Gaza. On 1 December, Israel labelled
Khan Younis Khan Yunis (), also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus, is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and serves as the capital of the Khan Yunis Governorate. It has been largely destroyed during the Gaza war. Before the 14th century, Khan ...
a "dangerous combat zone." It issued a map of numbered zones, dividing the Gaza Strip into hundreds of different districts. It also issued an evacuation order in southern Gaza for residents to move to
Rafah Rafah ( ) is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Rafah Governorate. It is located south-west of Gaza City. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889. Due to the Gaza war, about 1.4 million people from Gaza C ...
. At the same time it issued the evacuation, Israel bombed Rafah. On 4 December, a UN representative stated "another wave of displacement is underway." The UN stated at least four of its shelters in Khan Younis had received evacuation orders from the Israeli military. By 13 December, half of Gaza's population was in Rafah. On 21 December, a ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'' analysis found Israel had left northern Gaza virtually uninhabitable. On 6 January 2024, UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths stated that Gaza had "simply become uninhabitable". More than 85% of Palestinians in Gaza, or around 1.9 million people, were
internally displaced An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee. I ...
. On 8 January, ''Al Jazeera'' reported Palestinians in Gaza were using websites like
GoFundMe GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the ...
to fundraise the necessary money to enter Egypt via the Rafah Crossing. UNOCHA reported there were as many 15 people living per tent. On 13 January, the
Gaza Health Ministry The Gaza Health Ministry (GHM), officially the Palestinian Ministry of Health – Gaza, is responsible for managing healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip. The health ministry's casualty reports have received significant attention d ...
reported the infrastructure of
Rafah Rafah ( ) is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Rafah Governorate. It is located south-west of Gaza City. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889. Due to the Gaza war, about 1.4 million people from Gaza C ...
was at its breaking point, unable to handle the large number of displaced people who'd fled there.
Philippe Lazzarini Philippe Lazzarini (born 1964) is a Swiss-Italian humanitarian who has been serving as Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) since 2020. Early life and education La ...
stated on 17 January, "You have hundreds of thousands of people living now in the street, living in these plastic makeshift tents, sleeping on the concrete." On 24 January, Israel ordered a large area of Khan Younis to evacuate, affecting three hospitals, 24 United Nations shelters, and more than 500,000 people. In February 2024, Gaza's information office stated the IDF was deliberately burning homes.


Communications

Since the start of the war on 7 October, Gaza has undergone numerous
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 cap ...
s. Direct attacks on telecommunications infrastructure by Israel, electricity blockades and fuel shortages have caused the near-total collapse of Gaza's largest cell network providers. Lack of internet access has obstructed Gazan citizens from communicating with loved ones, learning of IDF operations, and identifying both the areas most exposed to bombing and possible escape routes. The blackouts have also impeded emergency services, making it more difficult to locate and access the time-critical injured, and have impeded humanitarian aid agencies and journalists as well. On 27 October, Gaza underwent a near total communications blackout after
Paltel Palestine Telecommunications (Paltel) Company ( شركة), listed in the Palestine Exchange (PEX) as Paltel, is a Palestinian telecommunications holding company based in Ramallah, Palestine. It consists of Palestine Telecommunications (Paltel), ...
's
communication towers Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not only transmit ...
were destroyed in an Israeli attack. This cut off Gaza from any phone or internet service. As a result, humanitarian groups, including UNICEF, WHO, the
Palestine Red Crescent Society The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS; ) is the humanitarian organization that is the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in the State of Palestine, which includes the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. ...
, Doctors Without Borders,
American Friends Service Committee The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Religious Society of Friends ('' Quaker)-founded'' organization working for peace and social justice in the United States and around the world. AFSC was founded in 1917 as a combined effort by ...
, Medical Aid for Palestinians, and
ActionAid ActionAid is an international non-governmental organization whose stated primary aim is to work against poverty and injustice worldwide. ActionAid is a federation of 45 country offices that works with communities, often via local partner organi ...
lost all contact with their staff. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society stated wounded people would no longer be able to dial Gaza's
emergency number An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...
for an ambulance. The Red Crescent stated it was "deeply concerned" about the ability of
medic A medic is a person trained to provide medical care, encompassing a wide range of individuals involved in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of health conditions. The term can refer to fully qualified medical practitioners, such as physic ...
s to provide care, stating it had lost all contact with operations room and staff in Gaza. On 28 October,
Elon Musk Elon Reeve Musk ( ; born June 28, 1971) is a businessman. He is known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has been considered the wealthiest person in th ...
offered to provide humanitarian groups with
Starlink Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by Starlink Services, LLC, an international telecommunications provider that is a wholly owned subsidiary of American aerospace company SpaceX, providing coverage to around 130 countries ...
access, but
Shlomo Karhi Shlomo Karhi (; born 6 April 1982) is an Israeli politician and academic. He is currently a member of the Knesset for Likud and serving as the Minister of Communications in the thirty-seventh government. Karhi first joined the Knesset in the 2 ...
stated Israel would fight it with every "means at its disposal” because Hamas will use it for terrorist activities. The UN Assistant Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lynn Hastings, stated that hospitals and aid operations could not operate without phone lines or internet. The
Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in New York City, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists. The '' American Journalism ...
warned the world was "losing a window into the reality" of the situation in Gaza.
Michael Lynk Stanley Michael Lynk (born 1952) is a Canadian legal academic. He is currently an associate professor at the University of Western Ontario. From 2016 to 2022 he was the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Terr ...
, a former UN rapporteur, stated one purpose of the internet blackout was to keep "the world blinded on what's happening." The WHO secretary-general
Tedros Ghebreyesus Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (, sometimes spelled ; born 3 March 1965) is an Ethiopian public health official, researcher, diplomat, and the DGWHO, Director-General of the World Health Organization since 2017. He is the first African to become W ...
stated he was "gravely concerned" by the blackout for the "immediate health risks" it posed to patients and for the safety of WHO staff. In a post on X, ActionAid wrote the blackout would make it "nearly impossible" for people to seek help, and stated they were "gravely concerned" for "all the people of Gaza." Marwa Fatafta, policy manager of
Access Now Access Now is a non-profit organization headquartered in Brooklyn, New York City, in the United States. It was founded in California in July 2009 and focuses on digital civil rights. The organization issues reports on global Internet censorship, ...
, stated that "taking Gaza completely off the grid while launching an unprecedented bombardment campaign only means something atrocious is about to happen." On 28 October,
Netblocks NetBlocks is a watchdog organization that monitors cybersecurity and the governance of the Internet. The service was launched in 2017 to monitor Internet freedom. Work Projects NetBlocks publishes original reporting on Internet governance ...
stated Gaza's telephone and internet communications were gradually returning. On 31 October, Fatafta stated the blackout had been used by Israel to cover up potential
war crimes A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hos ...
as they began their ground invasion and called it a "warfare tactic to induce more pain on the population." Paltel announced Gaza had again been cut off from telecommunications and internet service. On 3 November, the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
began broadcasting an emergency radio service on
mediumwave Medium wave (MW) is a part of the medium frequency (MF) radio band used mainly for AM broadcasting, AM radio broadcasting. The spectrum provides about 120 channels with more limited sound quality than FM stations on the FM broadcast band. Duri ...
from
Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
in attempt to retain communications with Gazan civilians and support information-finding such as "where to access shelter, food and water supplies". On 5 November, internet and telecoms were cut for a third time. Some residents used
eSIM An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a form of SIM card that is embedded directly into a device as software installed onto a eUICC chip. First released in March 2016, eSIM is a global specification by the GSMA that enables remote SIM provisioning; end ...
s to stay connected to mobile networks. On 16 November, communications in Gaza were cut off for a fourth time. The following day, communications were restored after a limited quantity of fuel was allowed to enter the Gaza Strip. On 27 November, Shlomo Karhi stated Musk had agreed not to operate Starlink in Gaza without Israeli approval. On 3 December, PalTel reported another communications blackout. On 14 December, Gaza's communication companies reported the sixth communications blackout since the conflict's start. On 20 December, Paltel,
Ooredoo Ooredoo QSC (; formerly Qtel) is a Qatari multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Doha. Ooredoo provides mobile, wireless, wire line, and content services with market share in domestic and internatio ...
, and
Jawwal Palestine Cellular Communications Company (), trading as Jawwal (), is a Palestinian communications company providing cellular and wireless communications. Jawwal operates in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as part of Paltel Group. History Jawwal ...
reported a communications blackout in the Gaza Strip. Wounded people unable to call ambulances due to the blackouts reported biking and taking donkey carts to hospitals, while ambulance drivers stated they simply followed plumes of smoke or the sound of explosions. Telecoms went down on 26 December. On 12 January, the ninth communications blackout occurred, cutting off phone and internet access across the Strip. The following day, Jawwal reported an Israeli drone strike had killed two of their engineers attempting to repair the system, noting they had lost a total of 13 employees so far. The communications blackout was the longest of the war. The tenth blackout occurred on 22 January. In a statement,
UNWRA The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA, pronounced ) is a United Nations System, UN agency that supports the relief and Human development (economics), human development of Palestinian refugee ...
stated, "Disruption of telecommunication services prevents people in Gaza from accessing life-saving information or calling for first responders, and continues to impede humanitarian response." The
Ministry of Communications A Communications Ministry or Department of Communications is a ministry or other government agency charged with communication. Communications responsibilities include regulating telecommunications, postal services, broadcasting and print media. The ...
stated on 27 January that Israel had fired live bullets and a tank shell at its telecommunications crews. NetBlocks reported a "high impact" outage on 5 March. Internet was disrupted on 25 May 2024. By December 2023 200,000 Gazans (approximately 10% of the population) had received internet access through an eSIM provided by
Connecting Humanity Connecting Humanity (also known as eSims for Gaza) is an activist collective which provides internet access to people in Gaza Strip, Gaza using donated eSIMs, allowing them to connect to networks outside of Gaza. It is run by Mirna El Helbawi, a ...
.


Humanitarian aid


Initial block on aid

On 9 October, Israel implemented a complete blockade on Gaza, preventing the entry of any humanitarian aid. Egypt closed its border to prevent civilians fleeing, but said that it would allow aid to be delivered through the
Rafah crossing The Rafah Border Crossing () or Rafah Crossing Point is the sole crossing point between Egypt and Palestine's Gaza Strip. The Rafah crossing was opened by Israel after the 1979 peace treaty and remained under Israeli control until 2005, when ...
. A week later, despite international calls for deliveries, hundreds of tons of aid were stuck on Egypt's side of the border, as Israel bombarded the crossing amid fears of weapons deliveries, and declined to assure Egyptian authorities it would pause airstrikes for civilian aid convoys. In Israel, aid to Gaza was reportedly prevented by far-right politicians allied with Netanyahu. On 17 October, the UNRWA stated that there was currently "no water or electricity in Gaza. Soon there will be no food or medicine either".


Deliveries to southern Gaza

On 18 October, Israel announced it would allow food, water, and medicine to be delivered to a "safe zone" in west
Khan Younis Khan Yunis (), also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus, is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and serves as the capital of the Khan Yunis Governorate. It has been largely destroyed during the Gaza war. Before the 14th century, Khan ...
in southern Gaza, distributed by the United Nations. Later the same day, US president
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
announced Egypt agreed to allow 20 trucks with aid to enter Gaza by 20 October. More than 100 trucks of aid were waiting at the Rafah crossing to enter into Gaza. In a statement,
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
stated that without electricity or fuel, however, the provided aid would fail "meeting the needs of Gaza's population". On 19 October, US Special Envoy David M. Satterfield stated the US wanted "sustained" aid into Gaza. The same day, a spokesman for
Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs), focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. It began as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief ...
stated aid distribution in Gaza would be a "big challenge", and the UN reported at least 100 trucks a day of aid were needed. On 21 October 20 trucks of aid entered Gaza.
António Guterres António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres (born 30 April 1949) is a Portuguese politician and diplomat who is serving as the ninth and current secretary-general of the United Nations since 2017. A member of the Socialist Party (Portugal), ...
stated it was not enough to prevent a "humanitarian catastrophe".
Martin Griffiths Martin Griffiths (born 3 July 1951) is a British diplomat who served as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the ...
said the UN was working to develop an "at-scale operation". On 22 October, following the second delivery of trucks, Biden and Netanyahu stated aid would continue to be allowed into Gaza.


Issues with delivery

On 27 October, Lynn Hastings, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Palestine, stated Israel opposed the delivery of humanitarian aid to northern Gaza. As a result, UN staff would need to risk their own lives if it was determined such aid would be "lifesaving" to people in need.
Philippe Lazzarini Philippe Lazzarini (born 1964) is a Swiss-Italian humanitarian who has been serving as Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) since 2020. Early life and education La ...
stated "soon many more will die" from Israel's blockade. When asked about Hamas's responsibility for the safety of civilians, Hamas leader
Mousa Abu Marzook Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook (; born 9 January 1951) is a Palestinian politician and senior member of Hamas who served as the first chairman of Hamas Political Bureau from 1992 until 1996 and deputy chairman of Hamas Political Bureau from Jan ...
allegedly replied that "it is the responsibility of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
to protect them... ndit is the responsibility of the occupation to provide them with... services". On 28 October, ''The New York Times'' reported that Hamas had stockpiled food, water, medicine and sanitary products in underground caches, in amounts that would allow it to continue fighting for several months without resupply. On 12 November, ''
Kan 11 Kan 11 ( ) is an Israeli state-owned free-to-air television channel. Operated by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC), it launched on 15 May 2017, replacing Channel 1 after the closure of the Israel Broadcasting Authority. It is ...
'' aired a video taken by a Gazan civilian, that appeared to show Hamas policemen beating civilians approaching a truck carrying humanitarian aid for food, before allegedly taking the supplies for themselves. Egyptian Foreign Minister
Sameh Shoukry Sameh Hassan Shoukry (; born 20 October 1952) is an Egyptian diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2024. Previously, Shoukry served as the Ambassador of Egypt to the United States from 2008 to 2012. Career From 19 ...
stated "Israeli obstacles" were impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid. The United Nations announced the communications blackout had brought aid delivery to a "complete halt." On 29 October, a humanitarian zone was announced in the Khan Younis area, along with a claim that aid trucks would increase "significantly." On 30 October,
OCHA 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 disaster ...
director Lisa Doughten pressured the UN Security Council for the use of extra entry points to Gaza, suggesting the
Kerem Shalom border crossing Kerem Shalom border crossing (, "Vineyard of Peace"; , ''Karem Abu Salem'') is a border crossing at the junction of two border sections: one between the Gaza Strip and Israel, and one between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. It is used by trucks car ...
as the only entry equipped for rapidly processing a sufficiently large number of trucks. On 13 November, the United Nations announced it no longer had enough fuel to deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza, leading Canadian Foreign Minister
Melanie Joly Melanie is a feminine given name derived from the Greek μελανία (melania), "blackness" and that from μέλας (melas), meaning "dark". On 17 November, the UN suspended aid delivery again due to the shortage of fuel and the cutoff of communications.


Delivery during temporary ceasefire

The amount of aid entering Gaza increased during the
temporary November ceasefire. On 26 November, the largest shipment of humanitarian aid reached northern Gaza since the start of the conflict nearly two months before. Philippe Lazzarini stated the aid entering Gaza was still inadequate. Samer AbdelJaber, a
World Food Programme The World Food Programme (WFP) is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals. Founded in 1961 ...
head, stated people were hungry and desperate. On 28 November, the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
reported that over 2,000 trucks of aid had entered Gaza since 21 October.


Resumption of hostilities

Following the resumption of hostilities on 1 December, aid deliveries into Gaza ceased. The IDF informed the Palestinian Red Crescent that the entry of trucks was "prohibited, starting from today" until further notice. Later the same day, the United States announced they had requested a reversal of the decision, and Israel stated it was prepared to allow aid at pre-pause levels. On 4 December, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that approximately 100 humanitarian aid trucks and 69,000 litres of fuel entered Gaza on 3 December and 4 December. This was “well below” the on average 170 trucks and 110,000 litres of fuel that were delivered daily during the temporary ceasefire. On 4 December, Lynn Hastings, a UN humanitarian coordinator, stated, "The conditions required to deliver aid to the people of Gaza do not exist" and warned of a "hellish scenario" in which aid delivery was entirely impossible.
Josep Borrell Josep Borrell Fontelles (; born 24 April 1947) is a Spanish politician who served as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission from 2019 to 2024. A member of the Spani ...
shared a warning on social media from
Martin Griffiths Martin Griffiths (born 3 July 1951) is a British diplomat who served as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the ...
stating an immediate ceasefire was needed for the UN to continue humanitarian operations. WHO stated Israel shot at its humanitarian relief trucks in
Gaza City Gaza City, also called Gaza, is a city in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Gaza Governorate. Located on the Mediterranean coast, southwest of Jerusalem, it was home to Port of Gaza, Palestine's only port. With a population of ...
. On 15 December, Israel approved reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing and announced that the US would be paying to upgrade the
Rafah crossing The Rafah Border Crossing () or Rafah Crossing Point is the sole crossing point between Egypt and Palestine's Gaza Strip. The Rafah crossing was opened by Israel after the 1979 peace treaty and remained under Israeli control until 2005, when ...
. Following a tour of the Rafah crossing, MEP Barry Andrews stated he believed Israel was deliberately delaying aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip. On 19 December, UNRWA headquarters was bombed. UN chief Antonio Guterres stated the way Israel was conducting its offensive was creating obstacles for delivery. On 29 December, Israel fired on a humanitarian aid truck marked with U.N. insignia. Israel announced on 31 December it was prepared to allow aid ships from
Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
to enter Gaza. France and Jordan airdropped aid on 5 January. On 11 January, Samer AbdelJaber, a
World Food Programme The World Food Programme (WFP) is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals. Founded in 1961 ...
director, stated the organization had delivered "crucial food assistance to thousands of people facing catastrophic hunger" in
Gaza City Gaza City, also called Gaza, is a city in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Gaza Governorate. Located on the Mediterranean coast, southwest of Jerusalem, it was home to Port of Gaza, Palestine's only port. With a population of ...
for the first time in weeks. On 13 January 2024, UNOCHA reported the amount of aid Israel was allowing into Israel had significantly deceased since the prior month. Omar Shakir,
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
's Israel-Palestine director, stated, "This is a deliberate Israeli government policy. Aid is not reaching north Gaza." U.S. senators
Chris Van Hollen Christopher Van Hollen Jr. ( ; born January 10, 1959) is an American attorney and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maryland, a seat he has held since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. re ...
and Jeff Merkley criticized Israel's inspection of humanitarian aid as "arbitrary" and "broken". A joint statement by the heads of
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
,
WHO The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 15 ...
, and the World Food Programme stated the limited quantity of aid arriving in Gaza was unable to prevent the "deadly combination of hunger, malnutrition, and disease". A viral video showed huge crowds of hungry people rushing toward a rumored relief truck. On 16 January, a deal was reached between Israel and Hamas to bring more aid into Gaza. On 19 January, UNOCHA reported that nearly 70% of its aid deliveries to northern Gaza had been denied by Israel. On 29 January, the United Nations reported that Israel had denied 29 aid missions to northern Gaza. In late-January, at least 15 countries announced they were UNRWA and Israel, suspending funding for UNRWA. Philippe Lazarrini, the agency chief, stated, "Our humanitarian operation, on which 2 million people depend as a lifeline in Gaza, is collapsing." The regional director of
Doctors Without Borders Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded ...
stated, "If you stop these trucks, people will die of hunger and very quickly". UNRWA warned that without continued funding, it would be forced to cease operations by the end of February 2024.


Killing of aid workers

From 7 October to 17 December, 135
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
relief workers were killed in the Gaza Strip, making it the deadliest conflict for UN workers in world history. According to Jeremy Konyndyk, the president of Refugees International, "The U.S. concern about these casualties remains almost purely rhetorical. There is no policy leverage being put behind it whatsoever. Beyond expressing concern and expressing regret, that’s where it stops." On 24 February 2024, the U.S. asked Israel to cease killing police in Gaza, stating it was exacerbating the crisis and leading to a "total breakdown of law and order".


Impact on children

On 22 November, UNICEF reported Unaccompanied minor, unaccompanied children had been identified evacuating from northern to southern Gaza by themselves. On 28 November, James Elder, a UNICEF spokesperson, stated wounded children were sheltering outdoors in Parking lot, car parks and gardens. Elder called the conflict in Gaza a "war on children." Doctors warned children who survived Israeli airstrikes were left with permanent disabilities and trauma. Aid workers coined the term WCNSF, meaning Wounded Child No Surviving Family. The bodies of some children buried under rubble remained unrecovered. By 3 December, an estimated 6,150 children had been killed in the conflict. In mid-December, the Ministry of Health stated it had run out of vaccinations for children, which would have catastrophic repercussions. The Euro-Med Monitor estimated at least 25,000 children had lost one or both parents. On 19 December, the United Nations stated Gaza was "by far the most dangerous place in the world to be a child". More children were killed in Gaza in two and a half months than the total of children killed in all conflicts around the world in the previous three years combined. On 21 December, UNICEF reported thousands of children had undergone limb amputations. Save the Children reported 10 children a day in Gaza had lost their limbs, which would result in a lifetime of medical needs. On 28 December, UNOCHA stated 50 percent of all children in the Gaza Strip were experiencing dehydration, malnutrition, respiratory and skin diseases. An UNOCHA representative stated the organization was having difficulty delivering childhood vaccines. On 3 January 2024, UNICEF chief Catherine M. Russell stated many children in Gaza were facing Global Acute Malnutrition, severe acute malnutrition. On 5 January, UNICEF found 90 percent of children under the age of two were eating two or fewer food groups a day. On 6 January 2024, Tanya Haj-Hassan, a doctor with
Doctors Without Borders Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded ...
, stated children in Gaza were "dying in every way possible." In some cases, newborns were rescued from under rubble after surviving bombings. A report by Save the Children on 12 January stated children were "enduring unspeakable horrors, including life-changing injuries, burns, disease, inadequate medical care, and losing their parents and other loved ones". On 16 January, doctors reported children weakened by starvation were dying from hypothermia. On 18 January, the deputy executive director of UNICEF stated the suffering of children in Gaza were the "most horrific conditions I have ever seen." By mid-January 2024, an estimated 10,000 children in Gaza had been killed, with thousands more buried under rubble. An Action Aid coordinator stated on 27 January that children without winter coats were suffering from the cold and rainfall of the winter months, with new commercial products prevented from being brought in. An ''Al Jazeera'' correspondent reported he had witnessed children sleeping in mud-filled tents. Describing the impact of war on children's mental health, the Save the Children director of humanitarian policy stated the war had "starved and robbed any sense of safety and security". On 29 January, UNICEF reported that 16,000 children were at risk of missing routine vaccinations. Ahead of an expected Israel invasion of Rafah, Catherine M. Russell stated, "We need Gaza’s last remaining hospitals, shelters, markets and water systems to stay functional. Without them, hunger and disease will skyrocket, taking more child lives."


Birth and pregnancy

An estimated 150 babies were born in Gaza per day since the start of the conflict. A pediatric doctor at the Emirati Hospital in
Rafah Rafah ( ) is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Rafah Governorate. It is located south-west of Gaza City. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889. Due to the Gaza war, about 1.4 million people from Gaza C ...
, stated the number of premature babies born in Gaza had risen sharply. Infant, Newborn babies receiving specialized care in the West Bank were separated from their mothers who were trapped in Gaza.
Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs), focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. It began as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief ...
stated newborn babies were dying from preventable diseases such as infection, hypothermia, diarrhea, and
dehydration In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water that disrupts metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds intake, often resulting from excessive sweating, health conditions, or inadequate consumption of water. Mild deh ...
. By mid-December, parents were struggling to feed newborn babies, as mothers had insufficient nutrition to breastfeed. Newborn babies born during the conflict died in airstrikes, though some were rescued from the rubble. A
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 disaster ...
representative stated she had met a woman forced to give birth in the street, and that the baby had died. One woman reported being unable to bathe her newborns more than ten days after their birth, due to the lack of clean water. On 18 January 2024, Natalia Kanem, the executive director of the UN Population Fund, spoke at the World Economic Forum at Davos, stating the situation was the "worst nightmare" the UNPF representative had ever witnessed, as there were 180 women giving birth daily, sometimes on the streets of Gaza, as the territory's health system collapsed. On 17 January, Care International reported a 300 percent increase in the rate of miscarriage in Gaza since the start of Israel's bombing.
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
reported on 19 January that 20,000 babies had been born in the Gaza Strip since 7 October. UNICEF described each birth as a baby being "delivered into hell", and stated "humanity cannot allow this warped version of normal to persist any longer." The UN Women's agency reported that since the start of the conflict, two mothers in Gaza had been killed every hour, every day. WHO reported an increase in stress-induced stillbirths.
Doctors Without Borders Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded ...
stated that women were giving birth in plastic tents, and that those undergoing C-sections were being released within hours. It also reported that women were being turned away from hospitals due to overcrowding, with some forced to birth in public restrooms.


Premature babies

The plight of Gaza's premature babies gained global attention. In late October, Gaza's premature babies faced a critical situation as
Medical Aid for Palestinians Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) is a British charitable organization, charity that offers medical services in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Gaza and Lebanon, and advocates for Palestinians' rights to health and dignity. It is in List of organiza ...
and
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
warned that 130 infants were at risk of death due to a hospital fuel shortage caused by Israel's siege. The lack of fuel led to power outages, endangering premature babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Despite assurances from the IDF to assist in evacuations, the
Gaza Health Ministry The Gaza Health Ministry (GHM), officially the Palestinian Ministry of Health – Gaza, is responsible for managing healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip. The health ministry's casualty reports have received significant attention d ...
reported a lack of evacuation mechanisms, resulting in the deaths of several infants. The situation escalated in mid-November when Israel launched a Al-Shifa Hospital siege, raid on al-Shifa Hospital. Evacuations eventually occurred, facilitated by the Palestinian Red Crescent,
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
, and
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 disaster ...
, with 31 premature babies moved to southern Gaza, with most then to Egypt. Not all infants were accompanied by their parents, and two died at al-Shifa before the evacuation occurred. The distress extended to Al-Nasr Children’s Hospital, bombed by the IDF in early November, where medical workers had to leave babies in incubators during evacuation. Video footage later revealed the aftermath, with five premature babies found dead in their incubators. The IDF initially denied responsibility, though an Israel official was heard providing assurances to evacuate the hospital in a released audio. In mid-December, a military siege on Kamal Adwan Hospital worsened the situation, as IDF soldiers reportedly prevented staff from supporting 12 babies in intensive care.


Reactions

A variety of experts, organizations, and countries have labelled Israel's actions against Gaza as Gaza genocide, genocidal, using a variety of aspects of the humanitarian crisis as evidence. During a press conference in April 2024, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg stated, "What we see now in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe."


Aid organizations

A
Doctors Without Borders Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded ...
video shared by Amnesty International head Agnès Callamard stated, "This brutal annihilation of an entire populations health system stretches beyond what humanitarian aid can fix." On 4 December,
Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
president Mirjana Spoljaric Egger visited the Gaza Strip, stating, "the things I saw there are beyond anything that anyone should be in a position to describe." On 10 December, Bushra Khalidi, an expert with
Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs), focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. It began as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief ...
, stated the situation was no longer "just a catastrophe, it's apocalyptic." On 11 December, the presidents of six major humanitarian organizations — CARE USA, Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam America, Refugees International, and Save the Children — penned a joint op-ed in ''The New York Times'' in which they stated, "We have seen nothing like the siege of Gaza". On 13 December, a group of Israeli human rights and civil society organizations, including B'Tselem, penned an open-letter to
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
urging him to use his influence to help stop the "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Freedom House warned the humanitarian crisis was growing increasingly dire and called on the Israeli government to follow international humanitarian law. On 27 December, an MSF representative stated, "You absolutely cannot depict this as a humanitarian response: When we cannot guarantee the safety of our teams". Mairav Zonszein, a International Crisis Group, Crisis Group analyst, stated, "It is clear Israel's war objective is not eradicating Hamas, but eradicating the ability to live in Gaza." B'Tselem reported on 8 January that Israel bore a "positive obligation to allow rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid, including food" into Gaza. On 11 January, the
Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs), focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. It began as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief ...
Middle East director stated, "The scale and atrocities that Israel is visiting upon Gaza are truly shocking. For 100 days the people of Gaza have endured a living hell." On 14 January, the spokesman for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) stated, "Gaza has been made unlivable for military reasons and all civilians are paying the price." The following day, the secretary general of the NRC stated it was the worst humanitarian crises of this century. In response to a week-long
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 cap ...
across Gaza in January 2024, the non-profit
Access Now Access Now is a non-profit organization headquartered in Brooklyn, New York City, in the United States. It was founded in California in July 2009 and focuses on digital civil rights. The organization issues reports on global Internet censorship, ...
stated, "It is unconscionable to toy with connectivity amidst unprecedented violence and unfathomable human suffering." On 9 February, an
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 1 ...
representative stated, "If they aren’t killed in the fighting, Palestinian children, women and men will be at risk of dying by starvation or disease." On 18 February, the heads of eight major humanitarian organizations wrote a joint op-ed, stating, "The speed of the deterioration in Gaza is unprecedented in recent history." On 3 March, the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies stated people in Gaza were in "desperate need of food, water, shelter, and medical care, with no sense of safety". Civicus described the situation as "one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent global history". Agnès Callamard, the head of Amnesty, stated, "While the international community is busy pretending Gaza is a humanitarian crisis, Israel continues to violate international law in total impunity". The British medical journal ''The Lancet'' issued a warning that the actual death toll in Gaza from both direct and indirect causes could be more than 186,000. Jean-François Corty, a humanitarian doctor and president of the NGO ''Médecins du Monde, Doctors of the World'', said that the Gaza Health Ministry's figures take into account the identified dead, "without taking into account all the dead left under the rubble of the bombardments, or the indirect victims who died because of a lack of care or Health care, access to care, or from being transported to a health centre. If you add those who are likely to die of malnutrition or as a result of wounds inflicted by Israeli bombardments in the weeks and months to come, because of the risks of superinfection and because their pathology will be treated late, then yes, the figure of 186,000 deaths mentioned in The Lancet is credible."


United Nations

UNRWA The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA, pronounced ) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians who fl ...
commissioner
Philippe Lazzarini Philippe Lazzarini (born 1964) is a Swiss-Italian humanitarian who has been serving as Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) since 2020. Early life and education La ...
described the situation as "bone-chilling," and the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
stated that it was "spiraling out of control." On October 26, the World Organization declared that Gaza's humanitarian and health crisis had "reached catastrophic proportions."
Martin Griffiths Martin Griffiths (born 3 July 1951) is a British diplomat who served as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the ...
, the United Nations head of Humanitarian Affairs, stated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was the worst he had ever seen in his life, stating, "I don’t say that lightly. I mean, I started off in my 20s dealing with the Khmer Rouge, and you remember how bad that was, the Killing Fields, killing fields." Griffith stated it was the worst ever because unlike in other humanitarian crises, the people of Gaza had nowhere to flee. On November 8, UN Human Rights chief
Volker Türk Volker Türk (born 27 August 1965) is an Austrian lawyer and United Nations official. He has been the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since October 2022. Career Early years In 1991, Türk became a UN Junior Professional Officer and ha ...
described the Rafah Crossing as "gates to a living nightmare." On 28 November, UN chief
António Guterres António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres (born 30 April 1949) is a Portuguese politician and diplomat who is serving as the ninth and current secretary-general of the United Nations since 2017. A member of the Socialist Party (Portugal), ...
stated, the "humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is getting worse by the day." On 3 December, WHO secretary-general
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (, sometimes spelled ; born 3 March 1965) is an Ethiopian public health official, researcher, diplomat, and the DGWHO, Director-General of the World Health Organization since 2017. He is the first African to become W ...
visited
Nasser Medical Complex The Nasser Hospital (or Nasser Medical Complex) is one of the largest hospitals in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. During the Gaza war, Nasser was one of the final active hospitals in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, and was one of the last f ...
, stating, "Patients were receiving care on the floor, screaming in pain... I cannot find words strong enough to express our concern over what we’re witnessing." On 6 December, UN chief António Guterres invoked Article 99 of the Charter of the United Nations, stating “We are facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system." A joint statement by more than 20 UN and humanitarian organizations described the crisis as "amongst the worst we have witnessed". On 8 December,
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
spokesperson Thomas White stated, "Civil order is breaking down in Gaza... Society is on the brink of full-blown collapse." Philippe Lazzarini stated, "By any description, it is definitely the worst situation I have ever seen." On 11 December, a UN envoy toured Gaza, leading Ecuador's representative to state, "The reality is even worse than what words can speak." On 13 December, UN human rights chief
Volker Türk Volker Türk (born 27 August 1965) is an Austrian lawyer and United Nations official. He has been the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since October 2022. Career Early years In 1991, Türk became a UN Junior Professional Officer and ha ...
stated the crisis was "well beyond breakdown." On 19 December, James Elder, spokesperson of UNICEF said "I'm furious that children who are recovering from amputations in hospitals are then killed in those hospitals." Barbara Woodward, the British ambassador to the UN, stated many more would die from violence, disease, and famine if action wasn't taken to ease the humanitarian crisis. On 31 December, a UNOCHA official stated she was afraid casualties were going to increase exponentially due to "conditions which are literally unbelievable". On 5 January 2024, the United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths stated, "People are facing the highest levels of food insecurity ever recorded." On 7 January, the UNRWA deputy director reported severe hunger and an almost collapsed healthcare system, stating, "I don't know how much more they can bear before something explodes in the southern part of Gaza". On 7 January, UN chief Antonio Guterres stated "widespread famine looms" in Gaza, to which the UN special rapporteur for health Tlaleng Mofokeng stated Gaza was experiencing "deliberate starvation not famine". Speaking at the United Nations Security Council on 12 January, Martin Griffiths stated colleagues who had made it into northern Gaza in recent days had described "scenes of utter horror: Corpses left lying in the road. People with evident signs of starvation stopping trucks in search of anything they can get to survive." The
World Food Programme The World Food Programme (WFP) is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals. Founded in 1961 ...
stated nine out of ten people in northern Gaza were eating less than a meal a day. United Nations General Assembly, UNGA president Dennis Francis (diplomat), Dennis Francis asked, "How much is enough?" On 20 January, Antonio Guterres stated, "People in Gaza are dying not only from bombs and bullets, but from lack of food & clean water, and hospitals without power & medicine." On 27 January, Martin Griffiths stated, "The people of Gaza have been enduring unthinkable horrors and deprivation for close to four months. Their needs have never been higher." On 30 January, the UN Security Council issued a statement saying it was worried about the "dire and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation". On 7 February, Martin Griffiths stated, "More than half of Gaza’s population is now crammed in Rafah, a town of originally 250,000 people right on Egypt’s doorstep. Their living conditions are abysmal – they lack the basic necessities to survive, stalked by hunger, disease and death." On 10 February, António Guterres stated an Israeli assault on
Rafah Rafah ( ) is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Rafah Governorate. It is located south-west of Gaza City. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889. Due to the Gaza war, about 1.4 million people from Gaza C ...
would "exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare". On 21 February, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated the situation in Gaza was inhumane and described it as a death zone. On 5 March, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini stated, "Despite all the horrors that Gazans have lived through – and that we have watched – the worst might be yet to come." On 15 March, a representative from the United Nations Population Fund called the humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza a "nightmare". James Elder, a UNICEF official, stated, "The depth of the horror surpasses our ability to describe it," saying that he had seen "skeletal" children in Gaza, the "utter annihilation" of the Strip, and that "Khan Younis, Gaza City barely exist any more". In late-March, António Guterres stated the situation in Gaza was a "non-stop nightmare. Communities obliterated. Homes demolished. Entire families and generations wiped out."


Israeli

Israeli Major General (ret.) Giora Eiland compared Israel's situation to that of the United States after Pearl Harbor. He argued that if Israel wanted to disarm Hamas, it had "no choice" but to make Gaza a place "that is temporarily or permanently impossible to live in". This, he stated, was not a "program for revenge", but a way to get the hostages back. In an op-ed in ''Yedioth Ahronoth'' on 19 November, Eiland wrote Israel should not adopt a US narrative that "allows" Israel to only fight against militants. Writing for ''Haaretz'', Zvi Bar'el argued the humanitarian crisis was an Israeli military weapon that could be used as a bargaining chip. In a speech posted by the ''Knesset Channel'', MK Tally Gotliv stated, "Without hunger and thirst among the Gazan population, we will not be able to recruit collaborators". Ghassan Alian, the head of Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, COGAT, stated, "Human animals are dealt with accordingly. Israel has imposed a total blockade on Gaza, no electricity, no water, just damage. You wanted hell, you will get hell." In January 2024, a COGAT representative denied there was a famine in Gaza, stating, "Don't forget that this is an Arab, Gazan population whose DNA is to hoard, certainly when it comes to food." Netanyahu stated Israel was allowing in the absolute "minimum" amount of aid into Gaza and claimed this was preventing a humanitarian crisis. In May 2025, the Knesset held a discussion on the impact of the humanitarian crisis on Israeli public relations. Likud MP Amit Halevi disagreed with a doctor who said that suffering Palestinian children should be able to receive medical treatment. Halevi claimed, "When fighting a group like this, the distinctions that exist in a normal world don't exist." MP Limor Son Har-Melech argued, "No one is starving anyone – stop echoing Hamas lies!" The discussion also featured Tsav 9 founder Rashel Twito falsely claiming that blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza led to hostage releases.


Palestinian

On 4 January 2024, Gaza City mayor Yahya Al-Sarraj made an urgent appeal to the international community for fuel "to provide the necessary support mechanisms to provide water, sanitation and hygiene services to serve all residents of the Gaza Strip". On 5 January, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates (State of Palestine), Palestinian Foreign Ministry stated the humanitarian crisis in Rafah was straining the international community's credibility, stating, "The Israeli government continues its deepening campaign of genocide, comprehensive destruction, and displacement in the Gaza Strip". On 14 January, the Foreign Ministry stated, "The Israeli occupation has turned Gaza into an uninhabitable place, committed horrific crimes, and forcibly displaced approximately 2 million people". The Ministry stated Israel was claiming self-defense to justify making Gaza uninhabitable.


United States

Ten days into the war, the United States UN representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have condemned all violence against civilians in the war and urged humanitarian aid to Gaza. She said it was too early to craft a resolution while diplomacy was underway and criticized the one proposed for not mentioning Israel's right to self-defense. In a ''Wall Street Journal'' op-ed, conservative American commentator Daniel Henninger speculated Hamas wanted to create a humanitarian crisis for publicity purposes. US Vice-President Kamala Harris said on 2 December that "too many innocent Palestinians have been killed" and that "international humanitarian law must be respected". She said that at the end of the conflict there must be "No forcible displacement, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, no reduction in territory, and no use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism". Ten days later, US President Biden warned that Israel was losing international support because of its "indiscriminate bombing" of Gaza. In early March 2024, the United States began airdrops of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Following an incident in which an airdrop of aid killed 5 Gazans and injured several others, the US Central Command and an unnamed U.S. official on 8 March rejected reports that their airdrops were to blame. The US also began work on opening a 'maritime aid corridor' and building the Gaza floating pier so aid could be delivered by sea. On 4 March, US Vice-President Harris called for "an immediate ceasefire" because of "the immense scale of suffering in Gaza". She said Israel must let more aid into Gaza and was imposing "unnecessary restrictions". US Senator
Chris Van Hollen Christopher Van Hollen Jr. ( ; born January 10, 1959) is an American attorney and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maryland, a seat he has held since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. re ...
had said that "political decisions by the Netanyahu coalition" were delaying the delivery of aid into Gaza. The US put forward a draft UN Security Council resolution which stated the "imperative" for "an immediate and sustained ceasefire", facilitating aid delivery, and supporting ongoing talks between Israel and Hamas, linked to the release of hostages. On 22 March it was vetoed by Russia and China. On 25 March, the US abstained on a United Nations Security Council Resolution 2728, UN Security Council ceasefire resolution, allowing it to pass. On 26 March, the U.S. Secretary of Defense called the situation in Gaza a "human catastrophe". US Republican Party (United States), Republican Congressman and former aide to Donald Trump, Max Miller (politician), Max Miller, speaking at Fox News stated that Palestine is "about to get eviscerated... to turn that into a parking lot." He has previously called on the Biden administration "to get out of Israel's way and to let Israel do what it needs to do best". He said there should be "no rules of engagement" during Israel's bombardment of Gaza. Miller also questioned the accuracy of the
Gaza Health Ministry The Gaza Health Ministry (GHM), officially the Palestinian Ministry of Health – Gaza, is responsible for managing healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip. The health ministry's casualty reports have received significant attention d ...
's claim that 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza, saying that he believes many of those killed have been "Hamas terrorists", not innocent civilians, and said the United States does not "trust an entity that puts munitions in mosques, and churches and in hospitals." Former Republican United States House of Representatives, Representative Michele Bachmann appearing in December in Charlie Kirk, The Charlie Kirk Show stated "So, it's time that Gaza ends. The two million people who live there – they are clever assassins. They need to be removed from that land. That land needs to be turned into a national park. And since they're the voluntary mercenaries for Iran, they need to be dropped on the doorstep of Iran. Let Iran deal with those people." She received a round of applause from the audience, while Kirk replied "I look at Israel and Israel says we never want another person into our country that doesn't share our values," Kirk said. "They said they don't want refugees. They don't want any of these people. I want American immigration policy to be like that." Republican Representative, Brian Mast, compared all Palestinians to Nazis in November on the House floor. On January 31, 2024, Mast also said that Palestinian babies are not innocent civilians but "terrorists" who should be killed, that more infrastructure in Gaza needs to be destroyed, and that "It would be better if you kill all the terrorists and kill everyone who are supporters." In an interview with Fox News on March 5, 2024, the former president and presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stated that
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
"dumped Israel" due to being overly influenced by pro-Palestinian protests, that "The Democrats are very bad for Israel," that he supports Israel’s ongoing offensive on Gaza in which Israel has to "finish the problem", and that the Biden administration "got soft", which commentators has viewed as a call to continue and "double down" on genocidal acts. Trump's campaign also said that, if elected again, he would bar Gaza residents from entering the U.S. as part of an expanded travel ban. In a town hall meeting on March 25, 2024, the Republican Party (United States), Republican US House representative Tim Walberg of Michigan stated that Palestinian civilians should have nuclear weapons used against them, "like Nagasaki and Hiroshima" (the Japanese cities where the US dropped atomic bombs at the end of World War Two, killing hundreds of thousands of people) in order to "Get it over quick." A group of eight Democratic Party (United States), Democrat Senators led by Bernie Sanders, Jeff Merkley, and
Chris Van Hollen Christopher Van Hollen Jr. ( ; born January 10, 1959) is an American attorney and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maryland, a seat he has held since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. re ...
issued an official letter to President Joe Biden, calling on him to "enforce federal law" by requiring Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "to stop restricting humanitarian aid access to Gaza or forfeit U.S. military aid to Israel" as "The severe humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza is nearly unprecedented in modern history" and "The United States should not provide military assistance to any country that interferes with U.S. humanitarian assistance." They cited the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act, which states that "no assistance" shall be provided under that law or the Arms Export Control Act to any country that restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance. "Stopping American humanitarian aid is in violation of the law. That should be clear. No more money to Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu's war machine to kill Palestinian children," Sanders said.


Other states

On 8 January 2024, Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi condemned Israel's actions in Gaza, stating, "The Israeli aggression on Gaza has exceeded all humanitarian, legal and moral limits". On 9 January 2024, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron admitted he is "worried" that Israel has "taken action that might be in breach of international law", saying he wanted Israel to restore water supplies to Gaza. Cameron stated on 26 January, "The scale of suffering in Gaza is unimaginable". Sarah Champion, a Labor MP, stated, "I find it utterly wicked and immoral that international conventions [in Gaza] are not being respected, particularly when it comes to medical facilities". Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi (politician), Wang Yi stated, "We cannot allow this humanitarian disaster to continue", and described it as "a tragedy for humankind and a disgrace for civilization". Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the United States, called for a ceasefire, writing, "Half of the people are Gaza Strip famine, starving. The medical system has Timeline of the Gaza Strip healthcare collapse, collapsed. Safe water is scarce. An impending Rafah offensive, Israeli offensive will displace millions." Speaking about
Rafah Rafah ( ) is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Rafah Governorate. It is located south-west of Gaza City. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889. Due to the Gaza war, about 1.4 million people from Gaza C ...
, a German government spokesperson stated on 19 February 2024 that although the full scope of the crisis was difficult to assess, "Everyone recognizes that it is catastrophic." William, Prince of Wales stated, "There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza." On 3 March, France’s Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné stated, "The humanitarian situation in Gaza has been catastrophic for several weeks, if not several months. And this is creating indefensible and unjustifiable situations for which the Israelis are accountable". On 26 March, the German foreign minister Anna Baerbock stated, "The humanitarian situation in Gaza is hell".


Resolution efforts

In a call on 20 November, Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed measures to avoid the humanitarian crisis from getting worse. In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 11, 2023, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League held an Arab Islamic extraordinary summit 2023, emergency meeting on the Gaza humanitarian crisis created by the war. On 5 December, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides visited Egypt and Jordan in attempt to establish a humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza. The UN appointed Sigrid Kaag in the newly created position of senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza. On December 6,
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
Secretary-General of the United Nations, secretary-general
António Guterres António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres (born 30 April 1949) is a Portuguese politician and diplomat who is serving as the ninth and current secretary-general of the United Nations since 2017. A member of the Socialist Party (Portugal), ...
invoked Article 99 of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter, that is: "The Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security." Guterres cited the situation as a threat to "international peace and security" and "a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system" which he argued have irreversible impacts for Palestinians. By invoking Article 99, Guterres is pushing the United Nations Security Council, Security Council to call for a cease fire.


Refugees

At the beginning of the war, Egypt announced it was closing the Rafah Crossing to Gaza, one of only three exit points along the Gaza border. Egypt cited fears about Forced displacement, permanent displacement and a possible refugee crisis, particularly if Israel refused to allow the refugees back into Gaza after the war. Israeli PM
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...
sought to convince Egypt to accept Gazan refugees. Jordan also expressed reluctance to receive Palestinian refugees. King Abdullah II of Jordan warned Israel against pushing Palestinians into Jordan, emphasizing the need to address the humanitarian situation within both Gaza and the West Bank. In Europe, Humza Yousaf, the First Minister of Scotland, urged the international community to establish a refugee program for Gaza. Yousaf stated Scotland was ready to offer sanctuary to refugees, and called on the UK to create a resettlement scheme. Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot stated the Netherlands was discussing the possibility of accepting sick and wounded Palestinian children into the country. In the United States, left-wing politicians, including Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, emphasized the US's historical role accepting refugees and called for the acceptance of Gazan refugees. Right-wing politicians, such as former-President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis, both argued for barring admittance of any refugees from Gaza. Former US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said that Palestinian refugees from Gaza should be accepted by Middle Eastern countries. President
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
did not announce any plans to admit refugees, but stated $100 million in aid would be given to Gaza.


See also

* 2024 Gaza Strip polio epidemic * Audience cost * Casualties of the Gaza war * Collective punishment * Deficiency (medicine) * Dehydration * Emaciation * Famine * Israeli blockade of aid delivery to the Gaza Strip * Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip (2023–present) * Gaza floating pier * Gaza genocide * Humanitarian aid during the Gaza war * Human right to water and sanitation * Hunger * International aid to Palestinians * Israeli blockade of aid delivery to the Gaza Strip * Malnutrition * Muscle atrophy * Outline of the Gaza war * Palestinian genocide accusation * Persecution * Protracted social conflict * Attacks on refugee camps in the Gaza war * Starvation (crime) * Terminal dehydration * War crimes in the Gaza war * Timeline of the Yemeni humanitarian crisis * Winter of 2024–25 in the Gaza Strip * World food crises (2022–present)


Notes


References


Works cited

* * * * *


External links

* *
A Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip
, per
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
(30 October 2023) *
Gaza: Unlawful Israeli Hospital Strikes Worsen Health Crisis
, per
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
(11 November 2023)
UN relief chief: 'Intolerable' humanitarian situation in Gaza cannot continue
per
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 disaster ...
(17 November 2023) *
Analysis: How bad is the humanitarian crisis in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war?
, per PBS (19 November 2023) *
Inside a southern Gaza hospital: Screaming orphaned children, amputee toddlers and the stench of rotting flesh
, per ''The Independent'' (7 December 2023)
Interactive map of IDF attacks on healthcare facilities
per Forensic Architecture
Know Their Names: Palestinian children killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza
per ''Al Jazeera'' (25 January 2024) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaza humanitarian crisis (2023-present) Gaza Strip humanitarian crisis, Israeli war crimes in the Gaza war, Gaza Strip in the Israel–Hamas war Gaza war 2023 controversies October 2023 in Asia November 2023 in Asia December 2023 in Asia 2023 in international relations 2023 in the Gaza Strip 2023 in Israel 2024 controversies January 2024 in Asia 2024 in international relations 2024 in the Gaza Strip 2024 in Israel Impacts of the Gaza war Gaza Strip Humanitarian crises Emergency management 2023 in Palestine History of Palestine (region) Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Conflicts in 2023 2023 disasters in Asia 2024 disasters in Asia