Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the continued genocidal war against civilians in the Gaza Strip for the third consecutive year, as well as the continued policy of starvation and the prevention of humanitarian aid, fuel, and medical supplies from entering the Gaza Strip. This comes amid the continued deterioration of humanitarian and health conditions and the escalating collapse of infrastructure, particularly the sewage system, threatening to deepen the unprecedented humanitarian and health catastrophe, increase the risks of outbreaks of epidemics and diseases, and directly endanger the lives of the population.
The continued bombardment and rising number of fatalities are occurring alongside the collapse of Gaza’s health system, which is facing mounting pressure amid its declining capacity to respond to the growing humanitarian and health needs. The genocidal war on the Gaza Strip has created an unprecedented humanitarian and health catastrophe, resulting in a staggering increase in the number of wounded, particularly cases of double amputation and complex limb salvage, with 5,000 cases of amputation, while 300 cases of neurological and spinal injuries have been recorded, and 10,000 cases require intensive and long-term rehabilitation.[1] These increasing injuries require preparedness for urgent and effective intervention, while the Israeli blockade has almost entirely undermined the health system’s capacity to provide an effective response. According to the World Health Organization, among 2,300 persons with limb amputations assessed in Gaza between September 2024 and May 2026, only 500, or less than 25%, received permanent prosthetic limbs due to this acute shortage.
In a development further exacerbating the pressures facing the health sector in the Gaza Strip, the main generator at the Arab Ahli Hospital in Gaza City stopped operating on the evening of Wednesday, 9 September 2026, due to mechanical failures. This resulted in the suspension of CT scanning services, sterilization services, the oxygen station, and several other departments. Approximately 1,000 people receive services at the Arab Ahli Hospital every day, including comprehensive care through surgeries, outpatient clinics, diagnostic departments, wound and burn clinics, and physiotherapy services. All these services are at risk of being suspended due to the scarcity of spare parts and the lack of necessary oils.[2]
The Gaza Municipality, for its part, warned of the catastrophic consequences resulting from the accelerating collapse of the city’s sewage system, stressing that the continued deterioration of this system threatens to turn the city and its marine environment into an increasingly severe hotspot for health and environmental risks. An estimated 24,000 cubic metres of untreated sewage flow into the sea every day, threatening serious consequences for public health, causing severe damage to the marine ecosystem, increasing the likelihood of outbreaks of epidemics and the spread of diseases, and exacerbating soil and groundwater contamination.
The crisis has been further aggravated by the extensive damage sustained by the sewage infrastructure. The destruction has affected eight treatment plants and 212,000 linear metres of sewage networks, in addition to damage to and the shutdown of the East Bureij and Sheikh Ajleen stations. This reflects the scale of the collapse affecting this vital system and threatens serious long-term health and environmental consequences.[3]
The Civil Defence continues its efforts to recover the bodies of fatalities and missing persons from beneath the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings, amid severe difficulties resulting from the massive scale of destruction and the shortage of equipment and heavy machinery required to remove rubble. Vast quantities of rubble continue to cover large areas of the Gaza Strip, and some parties estimate that thousands of missing persons remain buried beneath the rubble. With the restrictions on the entry of equipment, spare parts, oils for machinery, and fuel, concerns over the outbreak of health hazards are increasing.
Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, stated: “The ongoing removal, crushing and relocation of rubble in Gaza must not destroy evidence of international crimes or prevent the recovery and identification of human remains in the besieged enclave,”
Gaza’s rubble contains human remains and physical evidence relevant to the investigation of alleged international crimes, including genocide,” Palestinian authorities estimate that more than 10,000 people remain buried under the debris.
“he recovery and dignified identification of human remains, systematic documentation of sites and materials, preservation of potentially relevant evidence, and an unbroken chain of custody under independent oversight must take place,”.[4]
Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions remain critical in Gaza amid severe infrastructure constraints. According to the latest Light Touch Monitoring Survey conducted by the WASH Cluster, 91 per cent of assessed households continued to experience moderate-to-high water insecurity in early August, up from 90 per cent in July and 84 per cent in the June round, with overcrowding at water collection points emerging as the most commonly reported barrier to accessing clean drinking and domestic water.
On 31 August, after the reporting period, a temporary halt to desalination in Israel reduced the water available to about 1 million people in Gaza who rely on the Israeli grid. As of 3 September, the problem persisted. Humanitarian partners have used alternative sources to partially compensate for the reduction.[5]
With the rainy season approaching, humanitarian actors are increasingly concerned about the heightened risk of flooding and further deterioration of living conditions across Gaza. Urgent preventive and mitigation measures are needed to protect vulnerable communities, critical infrastructure and essential services from the anticipated impact of seasonal rains.[6]
The National Coordinator of the Palestine Shelter Cluster, stated:" the findings of a recent assessment, which found that 1.98 million people in Gaza, representing approximately 90 per cent of the population, require shelter assistance. However, only around 10 per cent have received any form of shelter support in recent months. She emphasized that access remains severely restricted and that available funding is insufficient to meet growing needs. Ms. Salim called on Member States to ensure the predictable and sustained entry of materials into Gaza and to facilitate access to land. She warned that, without improved access and additional resources, Gaza risks facing “another winter of severe shelter failure.”[7]
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the escalating Israeli crimes, including the targeting of civilians, civilian properties, and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, and the further deterioration of humanitarian conditions as collective punishment and as one of the manifestations of the genocide being perpetrated by the occupation forces through the continued prevention of humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip and the continued targeting of the health and service sectors by preventing the entry of medical equipment, necessary machinery, and spare parts. The Center affirms that the continuation of these crimes against civilians in the Gaza Strip, together with the destruction of infrastructure and the prevention of humanitarian aid, constitutes a continuation of the genocidal war and requires urgent and effective international action.
Accordingly, the Center calls on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities, work to halt the ongoing crimes against civilians, ensure the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid, fuel, and medical supplies, provide effective protection for the population, and hold those responsible for the crimes committed accountable, thereby ensuring respect for the rules of international humanitarian law and bringing an end to the suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
[1] Palestinian Ministry of Health.
[2] Mousa Ayyad, Administrative Coordinator of the Arab Ahli Hospital. Interview with journalist Ramadan Abu Sukran.
[3] Gaza Municipality.
[4] United Nations briefing.
[5] Humanitarian Situation Report.
[6] Humanitarian Situation Report.
[7] Meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
