INTERVIEW - More than half of Gaza dialysis patients die after 3 years of genocide: health chief

Dialysis patients in Gaza fell from about 1,400 to 600 due to deaths linked to lack of regular treatment, he says Israel continues to detain 88 specialist doctors, he says More than half of Gaza’s dialysis patients have died amid Israel’s blockade and the subsequent collapse of the enclave’s health care system during three years of genocide, Gaza’s health chief said. More than 174,000 wounded people need nearly half a million complex surgeries, but the health care system lacks the resources to carry them out, Munir al-Bursh, director general of Gaza’s Health Ministry, told Anadolu. He said Israel continues to detain 88 specialist doctors, while its blockade prevents medical supplies from reaching patients in need. The Health Ministry has repeatedly warned that shortages of medicines, medical supplies and equipment, along with a lack of fuel for hospital generators, threaten to shut down essential services. Gaza has been without regular electricity since the start of the genocide on Oct. 8, 2023. Israel has also failed to fulfill obligations under the ceasefire agreement in force since Oct. 10, 2025, including fully opening crossings and allowing agreed quantities of food, humanitarian and medical aid and fuel into the enclave. Health services remain in collapse Bursh said Gaza’s health services “remain in collapse” despite the ceasefire. Gaza had around 1,400 dialysis patients before the genocide, but that number has now fallen to about 600, he said, attributing the decline to “deaths caused by the inability to receive regular treatment.” Thousands of patients with chronic illnesses, including high blood pressure and diabetes, have also died during the war because of difficulties accessing treatment, medicines and medical care, he added. In September, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented continued shortages of medicines for chronic illnesses, including supplies needed to treat kidney disease. The shortages have caused complications in dialysis services, including blood transfusions and the suspension of most catheterization procedures. Nearly half a million complex surgeries needed Against this backdrop, Bursh said more than 174,000 people have been wounded since the start of the genocide, with each initially requiring an average of at least three surgeries. “This means Gaza needs nearly half a million complex surgical procedures,” he said, despite having virtually “no resources to carry them out.” “Patients with chronic illnesses and those requiring continuous follow-up also face difficulties receiving treatment because of damaged hospitals and shortages of medicines and fuel,” he added. Meanwhile, Israeli attacks continue to cause casualties. Since the ceasefire agreement, Israel has killed more than 1,460 Palestinians and wounded more than 5,160 others, he said. ​​​​Medical supply shortages Bursh warned that Gaza’s health sector is suffering from severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies. He said “medical stocks have reached dangerously low levels,” with shortages of 52% for beds and essential medicines and 56% for medical supplies. “No new medical equipment has been allowed into Gaza since the start of the Israeli offensive,” he said. Moreover, Israel’s refusal to allow generator fuel and spare parts into the enclave has also disrupted oxygen plants, electricity generators and ambulances, he added. Operating-room equipment has also been barred from entering Gaza, making surgery nearly impossible, he said. Patients in need of medical evacuation On treatment outside Gaza, Bursh said more than 20,000 patients and wounded people urgently need to leave the enclave to receive treatment. He said “arrangements providing for the departure of around 300 patients a day have not been implemented by Israel, with only about 25 patients currently allowed to leave each day.” On Feb. 2, Israel reopened the Rafah crossing, which it has occupied since May 2024, under strict restrictions. UN figures released in April showed that more than 18,500 patients needed medical evacuation, including around 4,000 children. 88 doctors remain detained Regarding Israel’s continued control over more than 60% of the Gaza Strip, Bursh said several hospitals are located in areas under Israeli control or facing active hostilities. He condemned Israel’s continued detention of more than 88 specialist doctors, including senior surgeons and prominent medical professionals in Gaza, among them Mohammad Obeid, Hussam Abu Safiya and Ghassan Abu Zahri. He also said “the prevention of foreign medical delegations with highly qualified personnel from entering Gaza has compounded the shortage of medical staff.” Bursh called for “urgent international action to pressure Israel to allow medicines and equipment into Gaza, rehabilitate hospitals and allow medical personnel to return, as well as approve the evacuation of wounded people before it is too late.” Israel has blockaded Gaza since 2007. Around 2.15 million of the enclave’s roughly 2.4 million Palestinians are now homeless after their homes were destroyed during the war, including more than 800,000 living in tents that are unfit for human habitation. Since October 2023, Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and injured over 175,000 others, according to Palestinian figures, while destroying about 90% of the enclave's infrastructure.