Delayed, Denied and Deprived: The medical siege on Gaza

Jerusalem24 – In a new joint report, published on the 15-year anniversary of the intensified closure regime imposed by Israel on Gaza in 2007, Mezan and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) highlight how Israel’s siege and military attacks have degraded Gaza’s healthcare system.

Basic healthcare needs are unavailable to many people in Gaza, with approximately 80% of people reliant on humanitarian assistance, 64% experiencing food insecurity, and 59% living in poverty. Shortages of essential equipment, electricity, specialist staff, and medical supplies only exacerbate the situation even further.

Medical equipment and components are frequently blocked by Israel from entering Gaza, and healthcare staff is routinely prevented from traveling out for training.

Since many life-saving services are unavailable inside Gaza, patients must be referred to hospitals in the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem, or abroad. However, in 2021, 36% of the more than 15,000 patients’ requests to the Israeli authorities for permits to exit Gaza were either rejected, delayed, or received no response, preventing them from accessing the care they need.

In this episode of Wake Up Palestine, Aseel Baidoun, the advocacy and communications officer at Medical Aid for Palestinians joins us to talk about MAP and Mezan’s findings in their report “Delayed, Denied and Deprived.”