West Bank health system on brink of collapse as Israel withholds taxes

Israel has retained roughly $2.5 billion in tax and customs revenues that normally fund the Palestinian Authority, deepening a fiscal crisis that has crippled the West Bank’s public health system. According to Physicians for Human Rights Israel, about 75 % of public hospitals now operate only one or two days a week, with severe drug shortages, unpaid staff and postponed procedures.

Patients such as 70‑year‑old Bassam Musleh struggle to obtain essential medicines, relying on mobile clinics and aid groups. Military checkpoints and increased Israeli control further impede Palestinians’ ability to reach health facilities, raising the risk of fatal outcomes. The PHRI report warns that without a reversal of the funding freeze, the health sector could collapse entirely.