- The Palestinian healthcare sector faces collapse amid Gaza conflict and West Bank financial strains
- The Palestinian embassy urges India and global community to provide urgent medical aid and support
- Only 19 of Gaza's 36 hospitals are partially operational with severe medical supply shortages
The Embassy of the State of Palestine in India has issued an urgent appeal to the international community, particularly the Government of India, warning that the Palestinian healthcare sector is on the verge of total collapse amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza and mounting financial pressures in the occupied West Bank.
In a press statement released in New Delhi, the embassy described the situation as an "unprecedented humanitarian and public health catastrophe," attributing the crisis to the continuing Israeli military campaign, destruction of medical infrastructure, restrictions on humanitarian access, and severe financial constraints affecting Palestinian institutions.
According to the statement, the healthcare system in Gaza has reached a "breaking point." Citing figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), the embassy said that only 19 of Gaza's 36 hospitals remain partially operational, functioning under extremely limited emergency conditions. Medical facilities are facing acute shortages of essential supplies, including anesthesia, antibiotics, dialysis materials, blood units, insulin, surgical equipment and fuel needed to power hospital generators.
The embassy noted that the conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and injuries, overwhelming the remaining healthcare facilities. Thousands of patients continue to require urgent medical evacuation outside Gaza for specialized treatment that is no longer available within the territory.
The statement also highlighted deteriorating public health conditions across Gaza. It cited reports from the WHO, the United Nations and UNRWA indicating that widespread destruction, overcrowded displacement camps, collapsed sanitation systems, shortages of clean water and growing waste accumulation have created conditions ripe for disease outbreaks.
According to the embassy, more than 12,000 bodies remain trapped beneath rubble across Gaza, while damage to cemeteries has left human remains exposed in several areas. These conditions, combined with the spread of rats, snakes and mosquitoes, have contributed to increasing cases of skin diseases and infestations such as lice, fleas and bedbugs.
Children have been among the worst affected. The embassy said thousands of children are suffering from acute malnutrition, while nearly all children in Gaza are now in need of mental health and psychosocial support. Elderly people and patients with weakened immune systems are also facing heightened health risks.
Beyond Gaza, the embassy warned of a worsening healthcare crisis in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. It blamed Israeli financial measures, particularly the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, for creating severe funding shortages within the Palestinian public healthcare system.
The impact on medical services has been significant. Government hospitals in the West Bank reportedly carried out around 65,000 surgeries last year, but only about 19,500 surgeries have been performed so far this year. More than 11,000 scheduled operations have been postponed since the beginning of 2026 due to shortages of medicines, medical supplies and operational resources.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health is also facing severe medicine shortages. Of approximately 520 essential medicines required by the ministry, nearly 180 are completely unavailable. Half of the 97 medicines used for cancer and tumour treatment have reportedly run out of stock, placing nearly 4,000 cancer patients at immediate risk.
Calling the situation "alarming," the embassy said the Palestinian healthcare sector urgently requires life-saving medicines and medical supplies worth approximately $100 million.
The embassy appealed directly to India, humanitarian organisations, medical institutions and civil society groups to help provide immediate and sustained assistance. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recently announced "Aarogya Maitri" initiative aimed at supporting countries affected by disasters and humanitarian crises, the statement urged India to extend medical aid to Palestine.
"It is the exact moment to save thousands of innocent lives," the embassy said, concluding with an appeal for urgent international action to protect Palestinian civilians and prevent further deterioration of the healthcare system.
