Shafaq News- Gaza

More than three-quarters of Gaza’s medical devices are now out of service, Palestinian health officials warned on Wednesday, saying the collapse of remaining equipment threatens the core of diagnostic and treatment services across the enclave.

In a statement, acting Deputy Health Minister Maher al-Hammadin, during the First International Return Conference, which focused on the impact of the war and efforts to rebuild Gaza’s healthcare system, said that Gaza’s health sector had been subjected to “systematic and catastrophic targeting” during the war, leaving around 50% of healthcare services completely out of operation while the remaining facilities continue to function under severe strain.

He accused Israel of continuing to “obstruct the entry” of urgently needed medical supplies, warning that shortages of medicines, diagnostic equipment failures, and restrictions on medical evacuations were undermining recovery efforts.

“Patients and wounded people in Gaza do not have the luxury of waiting,” he said, describing hospitals as overwhelmed by the scale of casualties and destruction caused by a “war of extermination.”

The Health Ministry said hospitals in Gaza received one newly killed person and 16 wounded patients over the past 24 hours. According to the ministry, the death toll since the October 11 ceasefire has reached 881, with 2,621 injuries recorded during the same period. Rescue teams have also recovered 776 bodies since the truce took effect.

The ministry said the cumulative toll since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, had risen to 72,773 killed and 172,723 injured.

Read more: Gaza’s forgotten wounded: A society rebuilt on crutches