At least 5,000 Palestinians have suffered limb amputations and roughly 10,000 others urgently require intensive, long-term rehabilitation as a direct result of Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip, according to local health officials.
In a statement released on Tuesday to mark World Physical Therapy Day, Gaza’s Ministry of Health warned of an “unprecedented humanitarian and health disaster,” highlighting a surge in complex limb trauma and double amputations. Medical teams have also recorded at least 300 severe spinal cord and neurological injuries across the enclave.
A breakdown released by health authorities in April shows that the amputees include 980 children, 555 women, and 595 elderly residents. All require long-term specialized care that has become virtually non-existent in the bombarded enclave.
Systematic attacks on health infrastructure and the forced closure of most specialized rehabilitation facilities have pushed medical services to the brink of total collapse. Officials warned that thousands of wounded Palestinians now face life-threatening complications due to an acute shortage of medical supplies, prosthetic devices, and basic rehabilitation equipment, compounded by Israel’s ongoing blockade of medical evacuations.
The ministry appealed directly to international organizations and UN agencies for immediate intervention, demanding the entry of essential medical equipment and high-tech prosthetics. It also called for the immediate opening of border crossings to allow critically injured patients to seek advanced care abroad.
Despite working under constant bombardment, repeated forced displacements, and severe shortages, local physical therapists and medical workers have resorted to crafting makeshift tools from debris and tent materials to help patients regain basic mobility.
Although a cease-fire took effect on Oct. 11, 2025, Israeli forces have continued to carry out military operations and strikes across the Strip. According to the latest figures from Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 1,355 Palestinians have been killed and 4,516 injured since the truce began, while rescue teams have retrieved the bodies of 827 others from under the rubble.
