Gaza, 1 September 2025 – Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza continues unchecked as the international community fails to act. Alongside dozens of daily killings by the Israeli military and man-made famine, the lives of two million Palestinians are being placed at additional risk of epidemics and infectious diseases.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH), a new contagious disease is spreading among the population. Zaher al-Wahidi, the Director of the Information Unit at the MOH, reported that emergency departments in various Gaza hospitals—particularly Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah—have received thousands of cases of people infected with an unknown virus. The symptoms resemble those of seasonal influenza and closely mirror COVID-19, with patients experiencing high fever, joint pain, runny nose, cough, and diarrhea. However, the MOH has been unable to identify the virus due to the absence of essential diagnostic equipment such as PCR and rapid tests.

The severe shortage of medical supplies, from medicine to basic tools needed to administer treatment, and the fuel essential to keep health facilities running, has left the local healthcare system in a perpetual state of collapse, likely accelerating the spread of disease and risking a deadly epidemic. Severe overcrowding in tents, lack of hygiene supplies, and inadequate sanitary conditions, combined with weakening immune systems due to malnutrition, have created an environment conducive to the rapid spread of infectious diseases, according to the World Health Organization. The Health Cluster also reports that, since May 2025, meningitis cases have surged to 1,043, and suspected cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) have reached 94, resulting in 10 deaths. Treatment for this syndrome remains unavailable due to Israel’s siege.

M.Z., a resident of Gaza City, told Al Mezan: “For about a week, my family and I have been suffering from high fever, severe bone pain, and heavy congestion, while my children endure persistent diarrhea. I felt utterly helpless when I searched every pharmacy and medical point for fever medicine for my four-year-old son, Zain, but found nothing. In desperation, I was forced to give him half a tablet of medication intended for adults. It is unimaginable that a child could fall ill and be deprived of even the most basic medicine, such as a fever reducer or painkiller. What makes it worse is that hunger has already taken a devastating toll on our bodies—especially my children.”

Hospitals across Gaza face immense challenges providing the most basic care. The MOH has appealed for urgent reinforcement of blood banks. Bed occupancy has surged by 300% compared to normal capacity, forcing patients onto floors and into hallways, making it nearly impossible to administer proper medical care under circumstances where medical supplies are already severely depleted.

The destruction and collapse of basic services such as sanitation infrastructure have further intensified the health crisis in Gaza. The Gaza Municipality has warned of a worsening health and environmental disaster caused by the accumulation of massive amounts of garbage, which fuels the spread of disease and rodents. The lack of safe water, resulting from the destruction of pipelines and desalination plants, has already triggered a surge in diseases, including scabies and acute watery diarrhea. Since June 2024, Israel has approved only one in every ten requests submitted by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to import essential materials for water desalination. These health hazards are life-threatening and are further compounded by contamination from Israeli shelling and the thousands of tons of explosives, which have left harmful residue in the soil and air.

Displaced families report being unable to meet even their most basic hygiene needs amid a severe shortage of personal hygiene products and disinfectant, the ongoing spread of infectious diseases, contaminated water, and the collapse of sanitation services. The UN has likewise underscored that the collapse of water, sanitation, and hygiene networks has accelerated the spread of disease and turned menstrual hygiene into a nightmare for women and girls.

Al Mezan strongly condemns Israel’s ongoing genocide and the tightening of its unlawful blockade on Gaza, including the obstruction of food, medicine, fuel, hygiene supplies, and other essential humanitarian goods. We call on the international community to act immediately to compel Israel to end its ongoing genocide, impose an immediate ceasefire, and lift the siege and blockade of Gaza. The unhindered entry of humanitarian aid and medical supplies through all crossings is urgently needed to provide the wounded and sick with life-saving healthcare, including access to treatment abroad. Materials needed for the rehabilitation of hospitals and essential services, such as water, sanitation, electricity, and waste management, are equally necessary.