OCHA: Hospitals in Gaza under strain as attacks continue, supplies run low

09 July 2025

OCHA warns that ongoing hostilities in Gaza continue to cause more casualties, displacement, and destruction of civilian infrastructure.

During the past week, mostly in Gaza city and Deir al Balah, there were reports of attacks on tents and residential buildings, with scores of people reportedly killed, including medical staff and their families. Since October 2023, more than 1,500 medical staff have reportedly been killed in Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, as people across the Strip try to find food, mass casualty incidents continue to be reported.

Partners working in health are providing services to those injured during these mass casualty incidents, despite very limited resources. The lack of supplies is putting more pressure on hospitals already operating under severe strain and facing critical shortages of fuel, medicines and medical supplies, as well as blood and blood products.

Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 11 trucks carrying medical supplies entered the Strip. Surgical supplies, assistive devices, orthopedic instruments and other essential medical items will be distributed to health facilities in Gaza.

This is a positive development but meets just a fraction of what is needed.

OCHA calls for the opening of all crossings, corridors and routes to ensure the consistent, frequent and large-scale distribution of aid to people in need, wherever they are.

The lack of fuel continues to severely affect life-saving operations. Today, the Ministry of Health announced that the generator at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis is about to shut down. The lives of dozens of patients, especially those on ventilators, hang in the balance if fuel is not delivered urgently.

In the north of Gaza, 10 water wells have stopped operating due to the shortage of fuel. Another 25 wells that are functioning only partially could also shut down soon. Shorter pumping hours, reduced water production and limited solid waste collection provide fertile ground for diseases spreading – especially among vulnerable people, including children, older people and pregnant women.

Partners have expressed concerns over an increase in suspected cases of meningitis among children under 5, particularly in Khan Younis and Gaza governorates. Cases of bloody diarrhea and acute jaundice syndrome have also been reported at overcrowded displacement sites.

The shortage of medical and cleaning supplies is having severe health repercussions and impeding proper response.

Partners are calling for the entry of hygiene kits and cleaning supplies. OCHA notes that since early March, no hygiene items have entered the Strip.

Meanwhile, humanitarian movements inside Gaza remain limited. Yesterday, out of 10 attempts to coordinate movements with the Israeli authorities, only three were fully facilitated. This included the collection of medical supplies brought by the 11 WHO trucks, as well as the removal of debris.  Another three attempts were denied outright, including one to collect supplies from Kerem Shalom crossing. The remaining four had to be cancelled by the organizers.

Last week, partners working on education started providing prep courses at two schools in Gaza to help students sitting for the General Secondary Education Examinations, which are scheduled for later this month. This would be the first time the exam has been administered in the Strip since October 2023. Partners are preparing dozens of learning spaces to ensure that the 90,000 students expected to take the tests are safe while they sit for those exams.

Meanwhile, OCHA notes that thousands of students have been killed and injured since the onset of hostilities, and many of those who survived are having to cope with lifelong physical or psychological impacts.