Gaza’s 3-year Genocide continues: Palestine endures destruction of life and healthcare

Three years since the beginning of Gaza’s genocide, more than 2 million people are still living in catastrophic humanitarian and health conditions. The blockade of humanitarian aid by the State of Israel hinders an entire population’s access to healthcare, food, water: living conditions necessary for survival and the means to rebuild their lives.  

Over the past three years, Doctors of the World has documented the impact of the genocide and humanitarian blockade on the health of Palestinians, including the impact of malnutrition and the lack of access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. In a recently published report, Illness is our True Companion during War and Famine, our teams document this long-term harm to Palestinian health, with evidence collected through interviews with individuals living across Mawasi, Khan Younis and Gaza City. 

Destruction of Life and Health 

97% of households surveyed have been displaced at least once since October 2023, and nearly half have been forced to move between five and ten times. These repeated displacements force families to live in unbearable conditions while depriving them of the healthcare needed to prevent and treat illness. 93% of respondents live in unhealthy shelters that pose risks to their health, particularly because of the lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene, which encourages the spread of diseases such as diarrhoea, respiratory infections and skin diseases. 

In a healthcare system that has been deeply devastated by the closure of facilities, displacement of medical staff and shortages of medicines, diseases that could otherwise be prevented or treated at an early stage are worsening.  

84% of children under the age of five have been ill during the past three months, suffering from diarrhoea, fever, respiratory problems and skin diseases. 93% of pregnant and breastfeeding women show symptoms of anaemia, notably as a consequence of malnutrition, while only 17% consume a sufficiently varied diet to meet their nutritional needs. Since January 2026, our teams have treated 458 children and 1,533 pregnant and breastfeeding women for malnutrition. Mental health and psychosocial support needs have more than doubled, increasing from approximately 485,000 people before the war to more than one million in 2025.  

 ”My children have changed. They are more frightened, they worry about food, and they do not feel safe. They count every bite and start to calculate how much bread should we eat a day. They have lost the feeling that tomorrow will be normal. I also feel that I have changed. Before I used to think about school, family and the future. Now most of my thoughts are about finding food, water, shelter and keeping my children safre and their ambiguous future.” Testimony from a patient interviewed by Doctors of the World team in Gaza. 

Doctors of the World in Gaza 

Doctors of the World has been operating throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory for more than 20 years.  

In Gaza, our teams provide primary healthcare through several health centres. Services include general medical consultations, mental health and psychosocial support, sexual and reproductive healthcare, vaccination activities and nutritional support. In the West Bank, Doctors of the World operates from Ramallah to Jenin. Teams support the rehabilitation of local clinics, provide medicine and medical equipment, and deploy a mobile health unit to respond to growing needs, particularly in mental health, while strengthening emergency preparedness among health actors. 

‘We cannot settle for a sham ceasefire. We call on States and the international community to guarantee a genuine ceasefire that ends attacks against civilians and ensures their protection. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to enter immediately, safely and without obstruction, so that the population can access food, healthcare and medicines. But we must also look beyond the emergency. We call on States and the international community to support the sustainable rehabilitation of essential services in Gaza, led by Palestinians themselves, so that they can regain a life of dignity.’ Jean-François Corty, President of Doctors of the World France