A senior health official in Gaza reported the Gaza Health Ministry documented 4,500 amputations since Israel’s war on Gaza broke out in 2023.
Zaher Al-Wahidi, the head of the Health Information Unit at the ministry, said: “We have recorded 4,500 amputation cases by the end of 2024 as a result of the continuous Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks on Gaza.”
The official says children account for 18 percent of the cases, almost 800, and women account for 12 percent, 540.
Al-Wahidi says the figures show the impact that Israel’s war is having on Palestinian civilians, especially women and children, and the figure will likely continue to rise as the offensive continues.
He also highlights how Israeli attacks are further decimating Gaza’s healthcare system and how Israeli forces are restricting critical medical supplies.
Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza has injured over 109,378 civilians, leading to an amputee crisis in the enclave.
In October, Lisa Dutton, an official at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said Gaza has become home to the largest group of child amputees in modern history.
Earlier in 2024, the NGO Humanity & Inclusion reported that almost 70 to 80 percent of those being admitted to hospitals have lost limbs or suffered spinal cord injuries.
UNICEF estimated the number of children losing one or both of their legs in Gaza is equivalent to 10 children losing a limb every day.
Due to Gaza’s depleted healthcare system, limbs that could be reconstructed are removed as it’s the easiest option given the lack of supplies.
The United Nations announced on Thursday only 10 of the 21 planned humanitarian movements into north Gaza were carried out by Israeli forces, with seven being denied “outright”, three being impeded, and one being cancelled due to security and logistical challenges – preventing vital aid from entering the enclave.
Israeli forces have targeted several healthcare facilities within Gaz, leaving only 14 of the 36 hospitals partially functional while facing critical shortages, with forces killing over a thousand medical staff and detaining over 300.
Gaza’s three public hospitals in the north, Kamal Adwan, Beit Hanoun and the Indonesian, are all out of service due to Israel’s escalation of attacks.