GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center) Dr. Munir al-Bursh, Director-General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated that 18 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are now completely out of service, while only 20 hospitals remain partially operational, having lost over 52% of their inpatient bed capacity.
In media statements on Thursday, al-Bursh said that over 50,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are now deprived of essential medical follow-up, as the remaining hospitals are only able to treat emergency cases due to the critical shortage of medical supplies.
He stressed that Gaza is facing a catastrophic situation as medical supplies are cut off and essential medicines have run out amid a siege that has now persisted for more than two months.
Al-Bursh added that the Israeli occupation deliberately targets women and children by directly bombing displacement tents. The number of child casualties has reached 17,954, while 12,365 women have also been killed.
He further noted that 22,000 patients require urgent treatment abroad, including 13,000 in critical need of immediate evacuation. Additionally, at least 60,000 children in Gaza are suffering from malnutrition.
The director-general also confirmed that more than 1,400 healthcare workers have been killed, and around 360 others detained by Israeli forces, including Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya.
Al-Bursh criticized “the disturbing international silence” from global organizations regarding the ongoing atrocities in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military resumed its intense assault and blockade on Gaza at dawn on 18 March 2025, following a two-month ceasefire agreement that began on 19 January. However, Israel repeatedly violated the terms of the ceasefire.
With continued support from the United States and European states, Israel has been carrying out a campaign of genocide in Gaza since 7 October 2023, resulting in more than 168,000 Palestinian casualties, the majority of whom are women and children, along with over 14,000 people still missing.
