The Embassy of Palestine in India has made an urgent appeal for immediate humanitarian and medical assistance, warning that the healthcare system in the Palestinian territories is nearing complete collapse amid the ongoing conflict.
In a statement issued on Friday, the embassy said it was deeply alarmed by the worsening condition of the health sector in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, blaming the crisis on continued military operations, widespread destruction of medical facilities, restrictions on humanitarian aid, and severe financial pressures.
“The Embassy of the State of Palestine to the Republic of India expresses its profound concern over the catastrophic collapse of the healthcare sector in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as a direct result of the ongoing Israeli genocidal war, military attacks, mass destruction of medical infrastructure, severe restrictions on humanitarian access and financial strangulation measures,” the statement said.
Calling for urgent action, the embassy stressed that immediate support was needed to prevent further loss of life.
“This is the moment to save thousands of innocent lives. If not India and the Indian people, then who? If not now, then when? Every life matters,” the statement added.
The Palestinian Embassy said the Palestinian people continue to place their faith in the international community and in India’s long-standing commitment to justice, humanitarian values, anti-colonial principles and support for oppressed populations.
Referring to India’s humanitarian initiatives, the embassy highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recently announced Aarogya Maitri project. Quoting the Prime Minister, it noted that India had pledged to provide essential medical assistance to developing nations affected by natural disasters or humanitarian emergencies.
In its statement, the embassy painted a grim picture of what it described as an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, citing figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international agencies.
According to the embassy, only 19 of the 36 hospitals in the Palestinian territories are currently functioning in a limited capacity. It warned that healthcare facilities in Gaza are struggling with severe shortages of medicines, medical equipment, dialysis supplies, blood units and fuel needed to keep generators running.
“On the 986th day of the ongoing Israeli genocidal war, the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip has reached an unprecedented level of devastation,” the statement said, adding that WHO had warned that Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure had reached a critical breaking point.
The embassy also stressed the urgent need to evacuate thousands of patients for treatment outside Gaza, saying that the remaining hospitals are overwhelmed by the scale of casualties and injuries.
It further cited reports from humanitarian organisations that point to critical shortages of anaesthesia, antibiotics, insulin, dialysis equipment, surgical supplies and blood stocks, all of which have significantly hampered medical care.
The statement also highlighted deteriorating public health conditions. According to the embassy, thousands of bodies remain trapped beneath collapsed buildings, while shortages of clean water, failing sanitation systems and accumulating waste have worsened living conditions across Gaza.
The situation has reportedly contributed to the spread of skin diseases, rodent-borne illnesses and infestations involving lice, fleas, bedbugs and mosquitoes, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
Citing data from WHO, the United Nations, UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies, the embassy said an estimated 12,000 bodies remain under rubble, further compounding health risks.
The embassy warned that children, elderly people and individuals with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable. It noted that thousands of children are suffering from acute malnutrition and that nearly all children in Gaza are now believed to require mental health and psychosocial support.
Beyond Gaza, the embassy said the healthcare crisis has also intensified in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. It blamed severe financial pressures, including the continued withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, for crippling the healthcare sector and limiting the Palestinian Ministry of Health’s ability to provide services.
According to the statement, the Palestinian government has issued tens of thousands of free health insurance policies to families affected by the conflict, increasing pressure on already strained public hospitals and healthcare institutions.
The embassy said the impact has been severe. While government hospitals in the West Bank carried out around 65,000 surgeries last year, only about 19,500 procedures have been performed so far this year. More than 11,000 scheduled operations have reportedly been postponed due to shortages of medicines, equipment and operational resources.
The statement also highlighted a growing shortage of essential medicines. Of the 520 critical medicines required by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, nearly 180 are reportedly unavailable. It further said that 50 of the 97 specialised cancer-treatment medicines have completely run out, putting around 4,000 cancer patients at immediate risk.
The embassy added that central medical warehouses are facing acute shortages of vital consumables, including dialysis filters, surgical sutures used in complex procedures such as heart surgeries, and other life-saving supplies.
Describing the situation as an urgent humanitarian emergency, the Palestinian Embassy appealed to the international community, particularly the Government of India, for immediate medical assistance worth $100 million.
“The Palestinian healthcare sector is in desperate need of urgent international support, including the immediate provision of life-saving medicines and medical supplies worth 100 million USD,” the statement said.
The embassy called on the Government of India, humanitarian organisations, medical institutions, civil society groups and other stakeholders to help ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian and medical assistance and support efforts to protect the lives and dignity of Palestinian civilians.
