ISLAMABAD ( WNAM REPORT ): The Government of Palestine warns of grave and mounting consequences of the ongoing Israeli genocidal war and siege on the Gaza Strip, attacks by the Israeli occupation forces and colonial-settlers across the West Bank, as well as the financial strangulation imposed by the Israeli occupation on the State of Palestine, particularly impacting the health sector, which has now driven the Ministry of Health’s accumulated debt to more than $912 million, paralyzing the sector’s ability to secure life-saving medicines, medical consumables, and essential services.
In the Gaza Strip, the situation is nothing short of catastrophic. Israel’s ongoing genocidal war has deliberately dismantled the health system, reducing hospitals and medical infrastructure to ruins. Coupled with a total and suffocating Israeli siege that blocks the entry of food, medicine, and life-saving supplies, and reinforced by a systematic policy of starvation, this has produced an unparalleled humanitarian disaster. The few hospitals that remain partially functional are unable to provide even the most basic services. Children—our people’s future—are the most affected, as they will bear the scars of starvation, deprivation, and denial of treatment, for decades to come, as they continue to bear the brunt of Israel’s grave violations that threaten their lives, health, and natural growth.
In the West Bank, the Israeli occupation’s financial strangulation—directly resulting from Israel’s ongoing withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues and the deliberate suffocation of public finances—is endangering the very foundations of healthcare delivery. The debt burden has left over 110 essential medicines and 170 categories of medical consumables and laboratory materials at zero stock, forcing thousands of patients to be referred to private and non-governmental hospitals, already suffering their own financial crises, effectively increasing the medical referral bill and purchasing of services.
Patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart and kidney disease, face life-threatening deterioration due to the lack of essential medicines and the inability to receive proper treatment. The absence of adequate medical care will have long-term consequences, leaving them to suffer life-long and irreversible consequences.
The financial crisis for non-governmental hospitals is particularly evident in East Jerusalem hospitals, especially Al-Maqasid and Augusta Victoria, two of the most vital centers for cancer treatment and specialized care, and among the largest referral centers for the Ministry of Health patients. Their ability to operate is now at risk, endangering the lives of countless patients who rely on their services.
The Government reiterates that the Israeli genocidal war, siege, and financial strangulation are not only crippling the Palestinian healthcare system but also constitutes a direct threat to patient safety and the continuity of critical health services across Palestine.
The Government calls on the international community, Arab states, and donor partners to urgently intervene to:
● Pressure the Israeli occupation to halt its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip;
● Lift the siege and open Gaza’s border crossings, allowing for the unimpeded entry of food, medicines and supplies;
● Enable the reconstruction and reactivation of Gaza’s devastated health system;
● Pressure the Israeli occupation to release the withheld Palestinian tax revenues;
● Provide direct financial support to cover the accumulated debts of the Ministry of Health.
● Immediately replenish depleted stocks of medicines and medical supplies.
● Sustain the financial lifeline of Palestinian hospitals and referral centers.
The Government underscores that the right to health is a fundamental human right under international law, and the international community bears both a moral and legal responsibility to ensure that Palestinian patients are not denied access to essential healthcare due to the Israeli occupation’s collective punishment measures.
