Critics say attacks on health workers have persisted since October 2023, with Gaza health authorities reporting more than 1,700 Palestinian medical professionals killed during Israeli military operations.
One such casualty was Dr Maisara Azmi Al Rayyes, 28, who was killed on November 5, 2023 along with members of his family when an Israeli missile strike hit their home in Gaza City.
A physician focused on women’s and children’s health, he had returned to Gaza after completing a master’s degree at King’s College London as a Chevening Scholar in 2019 and continued treating patients during ongoing hostilities.
Meanwhile, recent incidents highlight continued risks for medics.
News from Gaza reported that Palestinian Red Crescent paramedic Hussein Hassan Al-Samiri, 48, was killed in an Israeli air strike in the al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis while ambulance teams attempted to reach casualties from an earlier attack on tents sheltering displaced families that reportedly killed 21 people, including five children.
Gaza officials said Al-Samiri was the fourth healthcare worker killed since the October 2025 ceasefire and the second within 24 hours.
They described the strike as a “double-tap” attack, where a second strike follows an initial blast and hits responders arriving to assist the wounded.
Earlier cases have also drawn international attention.
Palestinian sources reported that in March Israeli soldiers killed 15 paramedics and civil defence rescuers responding to a missile strike in the al-Hashaashin area, with video footage later circulating in international media.
The incident was widely cited by critics as evidence of systematic targeting of healthcare workers.
Western governments largely issued statements of concern but stopped short of major sanctions against Israel, according to observers critical of their response.
The broader humanitarian toll remains severe.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health says at least 71,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023, with many more believed trapped under rubble.
The ministry reports civilians account for over 80 percent of fatalities, including large numbers of women, children and elderly people.
It also says life expectancy in Gaza has dropped sharply, attributing the decline to military violence, hunger, displacement, disease and destruction of medical infrastructure.
Hospitals and clinics have been damaged, raided or destroyed, forcing remaining staff to operate under extreme shortages of medicine, fuel and equipment.
Health workers continue providing care at limited capacity despite these conditions.
Despite the ceasefire, violence has reportedly continued.
Gaza authorities say Israeli military actions since October 10, 2025 have killed at least 529 Palestinians and wounded more than 1,400.
They also report more than 1,450 ceasefire violations between October 2025 and January 2026 involving air strikes, artillery fire and shootings.
A key ceasefire provision promised medical evacuation routes, yet the World Health Organization said only 24 children and 36 caregivers were evacuated to Jordan on January 26.
On February 2, WHO reported only five critically ill patients were allowed to leave Gaza.
Nearly 20,000 patients remain inside Gaza awaiting treatment unavailable locally, including about 4,500 children, while more than 1,200 patients have died waiting for exit permits, according to Gaza officials.
Health agencies warn the crisis reflects long-term structural pressures.
The World Health Organization has recorded more than 1,800 attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel across the occupied Palestinian territories since October 2023, reporting over 1,000 deaths and nearly 2,000 injuries.
WHO data covering roughly two decades documents at least 3,254 attacks affecting healthcare, causing more than 4,200 casualties among patients and staff.
Aid groups say repeated military operations, combined with years of blockade, have severely weakened Gaza’s already fragile medical infrastructure.
Humanitarian conditions across Gaza continue deteriorating.
More than 80 percent of buildings are reported damaged or destroyed, leaving many families in overcrowded shelters during a third consecutive winter of mass displacement.
WHO reports tens of thousands of respiratory infections and about 11,000 cases of acute watery diarrhoea in recent weeks, roughly 80 percent affecting children.
Children have also died from hypothermia amid exposure to cold weather, according to humanitarian agencies.
Israel has restricted some humanitarian operations, with aid groups saying at least 37 organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and the Norwegian Refugee Council, have faced operating bans or license issues.
Israeli legislation has also allowed reductions in electricity and water supplies to UN agencies supporting Palestinian refugees, drawing criticism from humanitarian organizations.
Critics frame these developments as a challenge to international law.
They argue that attacks affecting civilians and medical services undermine established rules requiring protection of healthcare during armed conflict.
Some analysts say continued US support for Israel has limited international pressure for accountability.
European leaders’ post-Holocaust pledge of “never again” has been invoked by critics who argue current policies contradict that commitment.
“The genocide in Gaza represents one of the defining ethical tests of our time.”
“Never again,” the world declared in 1945. For Palestinians, the urgency of those words has never been greater.