Al Mezan Center for Human Rights has warned of rising cases of infectious diseases in Gaza, as Israeli attacks have destroyed not only healthcare facilities but also water and sanitation infrastructure. The conditions created by these assaults, the group said, are fueling new epidemiological risks in a population already weakened by starvation.
According to Al Mezan and Gaza’s Ministry of Health, growing numbers of people with symptoms resembling flu and COVID-19 – cough, high fever, joint pain – are seeking care at emergency departments but cannot be treated due to the occupation-driven shortage of medicines and diagnostic tools. “The MOH has been unable to identify the virus due to the absence of essential diagnostic equipment such as PCR and rapid tests,” Al Mezan reported.
Pharmacies have also run out of basic drugs normally available over the counter. “I felt utterly helpless when I searched every pharmacy and medical point for fever medicine for my four-year-old son, Zain, but found nothing,” a parent in Gaza City told Al Mezan. “In desperation, I was forced to give him half a tablet of medication intended for adults. It is unimaginable that a child could fall ill and be deprived of even the most basic medicine, such as a fever reducer or painkiller. What makes it worse is that hunger has already taken a devastating toll on our bodies – especially my children.”
Read more: Intergenerational hunger: the effects of Israel’s starvation of Gaza
Other conditions spreading across Gaza include meningitis, with more than 1,000 confirmed cases since May 2025, and Guillain-Barré syndrome, along with diarrhea and scabies linked to forcibly displaced families’ living conditions. The destruction of pipelines and desalination plants has drastically worsened the crisis. “Since June 2024, Israel has approved only one in every ten requests submitted by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to import essential materials for water desalination,” Al Mezan noted.
With hospitals operating at up to 300% over their original bed capacity, the health emergency continues to deepen. Palestinian and international health organizations have repeatedly called for the unrestricted entry of medical supplies and equipment to restore Gaza’s health system, but Israel continues to target healthcare.
“Al Mezan strongly condemns Israel’s ongoing genocide and the tightening of its unlawful blockade on Gaza, including the obstruction of food, medicine, fuel, hygiene supplies, and other essential humanitarian goods,” the organization concluded. “We call on the international community to act immediately to compel Israel to end its ongoing genocide, impose an immediate ceasefire, and lift the siege and blockade of Gaza.”
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