Abu Ramadan Calls for the Rescue of the Palestinian Health System

SadaNews - Health Minister Dr. Majid Abu Ramadan renewed his urgent appeal today, Thursday, to the international community and humanitarian and human rights organizations for immediate intervention to protect the Palestinian health system from complete collapse, in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

This came during the minister's chairing of the Health Sector Working Group meeting, with the participation of the vice president of the group - the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation represented by Mr. Stefano Souza, and the technical advisor of the group - the World Health Organization represented by Dr. Richard Pebberkorn, the organization's country director, along with representatives from a wide range of international and local partners.

In his speech, the minister reviewed the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where more than 65,000 martyrs have fallen and more than 167,000 have been injured, while 22 hospitals have completely gone out of service, and 96 health centers and 25 oxygen stations have stopped, in addition to the destruction of 199 ambulances and the martyrdom of 1,670 health workers. The minister also spoke about the dangerous repercussions of the severe financial crisis caused by the withholding of clearance funds and the accumulation of debts exceeding 3 billion shekels, which threatens the continuity of health service provision.

The Health Minister made an urgent call that included a set of recommendations, the most notable of which are: an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, ensuring the entry of medical and humanitarian aid without restrictions, releasing the withheld clearance funds, establishing an emergency fund to pay off debts for transfers and medications, supporting health staff with salaries and new hires due to the urgent need for each staff member, and protecting hospitals and health workers under international law. The minister also called on international institutions to exert more pressure on the occupation authorities to allow the injured and patients from the Gaza Strip to exit for treatment immediately to the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Mr. Stefano Souza reaffirmed Italy's commitment to supporting the Palestinian health system in these critical circumstances, calling for unifying and coordinating international efforts to ensure that urgent humanitarian needs and sustainable health development requirements are met.

For his part, Dr. Richard Pebberkorn, the WHO office director in Palestine, confirmed that the health and humanitarian situation is becoming increasingly complicated day by day, pointing out that the scale of needs exceeds the capabilities of any single entity, and reaffirming the organization’s commitment to continuing its support for the Palestinian health sector by providing medications and supplies and enhancing urgent humanitarian response in coordination with the Ministry of Health and partners.

The Ministry of Health presented, during a presentation at the meeting, the critical health reality and urgent needs, providing a summary of the main axes of the strategic plan and priorities for 2026, in addition to the initial recovery plan for the health sector in Gaza, which focuses on rehabilitating hospitals and enhancing emergency response capacity.

The World Health Organization also presented an overview of the health and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and the humanitarian and health interventions being carried out by the organization in cooperation with partners.

The meeting included discussions in which partners emphasized the need to enhance coordination of humanitarian efforts and integrate urgent response with health development plans, ensuring that health services reach everyone and that support is delivered in various forms.