Gaza Healthcare Crisis: Impact of Israel-Hamas Conflict

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has severely impacted Gaza's healthcare system. The loss of healthcare specialists, including obstetricians and other critical professionals, has jeopardized maternal health gains and endangered the lives of women and newborns. The conflict has also disrupted the training of the next generation of healthcare professionals, further complicating efforts to rebuild and sustain healthcare services. Immediate support is crucial to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Since Israel's retaliation for Hamas' cross-border assault on October 7, Gaza's health ministry reports that 490 healthcare workers have been killed, making it difficult for pregnant women to access essential prenatal care due to collapsed clinics and a shortage of medical supplies. Basic screenings for conditions like anemia and hypertension are unavailable, further compounded by a surge in trauma cases, highlights the New Yorker. 

Reuters has highlighted that more than 50 highly qualified specialists, who were instrumental in developing a healthcare system for a Palestinian state, were killed in the Bureij airstrike. This loss of expertise will take years to rebuild, state Maggie Fick, Ahmed Aboulenein, and Saleh Salem, healthcare journalists and authors of Reuters’ report. Among the victims is late Dr. Sireen Al-Attar, who significantly improved maternal health services and specialized medical care, reducing the maternal mortality rate in Gaza.

The loss of these specialists not only affects current patient care but also disrupts the training of the next generation of healthcare professionals, crucial for the continuity and growth of Gaza's healthcare services, states the report. 

Before the conflict, Gaza's health ministry reported improvements in maternal health, with the maternal mortality rate decreasing to 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022. However, hospitals, already overwhelmed with trauma cases, have been forced to divert resources from maternity services, pushing pregnant women toward smaller, often inadequate private providers. As a result, pregnant women are at increased risk of delivering prematurely or with complications due to untreated conditions and inadequate nutrition.

International aid and support, particularly from organizations like the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and Médecins Sans Frontières, have been critical in sustaining Gaza's healthcare sector. However, the recent conflict has severely strained their resources. ReliefWeb highlights the urgent need for international support, especially with the potential reduction of funding for UNRWA, which could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.

Mexico's response to the conflict has been multifaceted. Following the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ's) order for Israel to halt attacks on Gaza, Mexico invoked Article 63 of the ICJ Statute in a lawsuit against Israel for potential genocide. Former President López Obrador condemned the conflict, expressing Mexico's legal interest, while maintaining a neutral stance.