Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Sunday that the humanitarian and medical situation in the enclave remains catastrophic despite the ceasefire with Israel, adding that Israeli authorities are failing to uphold key commitments under the agreement.
Ministry spokesman Khalil al-Daqran said Israel continues to block the entry of medicines and medical equipment and is preventing the evacuation of thousands of injured Palestinians who require treatment abroad.
According to the ministry, 16,500 patients and wounded people have been denied exit from Gaza despite having completed the necessary paperwork.
Medical facilities collapse under severe weather
Al-Daqran said makeshift medical points have been forced out of service after heavy rains and strong winds tore through tented structures, worsening the conditions for displaced civilians seeking basic care.
He urged the international community to step in to allow the entry of tents, mobile homes, and construction materials to assist families sheltering in flooded camps.
Storm compounds humanitarian emergency
Since Friday, Gaza has been battered by cold weather, downpours and high winds, flooding thousands of tents that house civilians displaced by Israel’s two-year war on the territory. Meteorologists expect the storm to ease by Sunday evening.
Around 2.4 million Palestinians continue to face extreme humanitarian conditions following the war, which killed nearly 69,200 people and wounded more than 170,700 since October 2023. The Israeli assault came to a halt under a ceasefire that took effect on October 10.
