Gaza’s Healthcare System on the Brink: Hospitals Running Out of Supplies Amid Ongoing Airstrikes.

Photo by hosnysalah on pixabay.com

Hospitals across Gaza are facing a critical shortage of essential medical supplies as Israeli airstrikes intensify, according to medics and aid workers on the ground. Despite a fragile, U.S. backed ceasefire, facilities like Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis are overwhelmed, with daily inflows of casualties and dwindling stocks of gauze, antiseptics, thermometers and antibiotics.

Mohammed Saqr, Director of Nursing at Nasser, described the situation as “daily crises” with the hospital experiencing a severe lack of medicines and supplies. Humanitarian organisations have indeed sent in hundreds of tonnes of aid since the ceasefire, but according to Saqr and other health workers, stocks remain insufficient.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the health needs in Gaza remain “immense.” Only about half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are even partially functional. The WHO also reports that 343 out of 622 essential drug items are at zero-stock levels, severely limiting treatment options.

Fuel shortages further threaten hospital operations. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, six health facilities, including Gaza’s main oxygen station, have shut down due to lack of power. Without generators running, oxygen supply is compromised, placing vulnerable patients at grave risk.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has raised the alarm, calling the situation “hell on earth.” Its president warned that field hospitals could run out of vital supplies within weeks.

Meanwhile, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has documented the collapse of Gaza’s health system: many hospitals are operating at more than 100 percent capacity, with corridors and outdoor areas filled with patients. MSF teams report alarming shortages of painkillers, anaesthetics, antibiotics, and surgical instruments. Some hospitals have been forced to close entirely. For example, MSF recently evacuated the Rafah Indonesian Field Hospital amid escalating violence. This is part of a broader pattern: 24 out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are now out of service, according to MSF.

The Gaza Ministry of Health also warns of a severe oxygen shortage, as many hospitals lack access to oxygen generators due to restrictions on imports.

In a recent press release, MSF emphasised that the ceasefire is not the end of suffering, they are calling for unhindered delivery of aid, protection for medical staff and respect for international humanitarian law.

The humanitarian crisis facing Gaza’s healthcare system is multifaceted: it is not only the result of active bombardment, but also of supply chain blockages, fuel shortages and inadequate access. Without urgent action, the collapse of medical services could lead to catastrophic, preventable loss of life.

written by Sara Maggetto