Gaza health services strain under Israeli siege

Medical teams in Gaza are facing a severe crisis as the Israeli siege blocks essential supplies. At Al‑Quds Hospital, a shortage of stents and spare parts for catheterisation equipment has forced doctors to turn away patients in need of life‑saving procedures, despite the department having performed over 1,000 catheterisations in the past year. The broader emergency response system is also near collapse; ambulances and medical transport vehicles lack fuel, parts and medicines, threatening the ability to reach injured civilians as casualties rise. The siege has killed more than 1,700 healthcare workers and arrested hundreds more, further weakening the sector. In response, international advocates have urged U.S. Congress to maintain funding for the East Jerusalem Hospital Network, which provides tertiary care and cancer treatment to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The network is described as a critical lifeline amid the deteriorating medical situation.