A health official from the Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that 4,500 cases of amputations—affecting both upper and lower limbs—have been documented in the Gaza Strip since the onset of the Israeli offensive, now in its 16th month.
Zaher Al-Wahidi, Director of the Health Information Unit at the Ministry, announced on Friday that by the end of 2024, a total of 4,500 amputation cases had been recorded due to the ongoing and extensive Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip.
Al-Wahidi explained that 800 Palestinian children and 540 women were among the amputees, adding that these figures reflect the scale of the humanitarian disaster faced by the Palestinian people, especially the most vulnerable groups: children and women.
Doctors and governmental officials expected that the number of amputation cases, especially among children, will be twice the number announced, pointing out that the ongoing Israeli attack and destruction of civilian facilities make it impossible to issue accurate statistics.
“The numbers are likely to rise as the genocide continues, increasing the pressure on the health system, which is already suffering from a shortage of medical supplies due to the continuing blockade imposed on the Strip for more than 18 years,” al-Wahdi said.
He called on the international community to act urgently to stop the Israeli violations and ensure the protection of Palestinian citizens, affirming that the health sector is in urgent need of medical and humanitarian support.
Meanwhile, the UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described the tragic situation of Gaza children as a “disability pandemic”, highlighting the lack of prostheses, and psychological and physical rehabilitation centers.
Last October, Lisa Dutton, an official of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, labeled Gaza as “home to the largest group of amputee children in modern history.”
At the time, Dutton quoted the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees as saying that 10 children in Gaza lose one or both legs every day as a result of genocide.
Several prosthetic limbs are provided as part of relief assistance from countries and medical delegations sent to the enclave.
Throughout the ongoing Israeli attack, the Sheikh Hamad Prosthetics Hospital, the only hospital specializing in prosthetics and rehabilitation in the Strip, has been targeted and put out of service, according to MoH.
Since the onset of the genocide, Israel has targeted Gaza’s health sector by bombing and besieging hospitals, ordering evacuations, and restricting the entry of medical supplies, particularly in northern Gaza, which was invaded again last October.
With support from the United States, Israel has been conducting a military campaign in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, resulting in over 153,000 Palestinian casualties, including a majority of women and children.
More than 11,000 Palestinians remain missing, while dozens of children and elderly individuals have died from starvation.
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