Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has raised grave concerns over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, as Israeli authorities continue to impose severe restrictions on the entry of essential medical supplies and fuel. These restrictions have left Palestinians in Gaza facing near-total collapse of healthcare services and dwindling access to clean water.
Despite claims of supply corridors being opened, MSF reports that aid trickling into Gaza remains critically insufficient. The policies enforced by Israeli authorities, which ration aid at their discretion, are creating a false impression of humanitarian relief, while in reality impeding the delivery of even basic assistance.
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MSF teams on the ground report a sharp escalation in casualties over the past week, particularly at its field hospital in Deir Al-Balah, where gunshot injuries have surged by 190% compared to the previous week. Clinics in Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah are now facing record numbers of trauma patients. Supplies of vital medical items, including gauze, medications, and therapeutic food for malnourished children, are nearly depleted.
Fuel shortages remain a critical concern, affecting every aspect of life in Gaza. Fuel powers desalination plants vital for clean water, medical equipment, oxygen concentrators, ventilators, and the cold chain for vaccines. The shortage has already forced hospitals like Al-Helou Maternity in northern Gaza to intermittently shut down life-saving equipment, threatening the survival of newborns in neonatal care.
A recent UN effort retrieved 280,000 litres of fuel from storage in Rafah after 12 prior requests were denied by Israeli authorities. However, this is far from enough. MSF notes that facilities such as Al-Helou have been forced to suspend elevator use to conserve remaining fuel supplies.
MSF has strongly condemned the manipulation of aid, calling it a “band aid on a gushing wound.” The organisation stresses that militarised aid mechanisms cannot substitute the work of independent humanitarian bodies.
According to MSF, Israel’s continued actions—mass killings, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and obstruction of aid—demonstrate a systematic dismantling of conditions essential for Palestinian life. These patterns, MSF says, are consistent with genocide.
