Gaza Suffering Deepens as Respiratory Virus Kills Dozens
Mohammed Abu Salmiya, medical director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, revealed to Anadolu that healthcare facilities are documenting fatalities connected to the epidemic, with children, elderly individuals and those with pre-existing conditions bearing the deadliest burden.
"We are facing an unprecedented health catastrophe," Abu Salmiya said. "The situation is deteriorating at a pace we have never witnessed before."
The pathogen—suspected to be an influenza or coronavirus variant—is ripping through every demographic, Abu Salmiya explained. Rampant malnutrition, sustained psychological stress and virtually nonexistent immunization programs have created ideal conditions for transmission.
Infected patients endure brutal symptoms stretching across two weeks, Abu Salmiya reported: soaring fevers, debilitating joint and bone pain, relentless headaches and vomiting. Numerous cases escalate into life-threatening pneumonia.
"These complications are proving deadly, especially for displaced families living in tents that provide no protection from cold, humidity or overcrowding," he added.
Critical Resource Depletion
Abu Salmiya characterized Gaza's healthcare apparatus as experiencing its darkest hour since hostilities commenced, cautioning that deterioration has accelerated despite more than 100 days elapsing under ceasefire terms.
Medical centers are functioning with catastrophic deficits of fundamental provisions, he stated.
"We lack sterile gauze in operating rooms. Antibiotics are critically scarce," he said. "Cancer medications are completely unavailable, as are treatments for kidney dialysis patients and people with chronic diseases."
A mental health crisis is intensifying, Abu Salmiya warned, with psychiatric institutions demolished and psychotropic medications largely inaccessible—creating dangers for patients and surrounding populations alike.
Roughly 70% of Gaza's diagnostic laboratories have ceased operations due to equipment and material shortages, Abu Salmiya noted, leaving physicians unable to perform even standard testing procedures.
Blockade Allegations
The Al-Shifa medical director charged Israel with intentionally preventing medicines and medical apparatus from entering Gaza, including items endorsed by international bodies such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
"Life-saving medications and equipment are being denied entry, while non-essential items such as soft drinks, snacks and mobile phones are allowed in," he said, characterizing the approach as a calculated strategy to cause indirect suffering.
He called on the global community to act without delay to guarantee unfettered access for medical provisions, laboratory resources and critical equipment.
Abu Salmiya emphasized that Gaza's most pressing requirements include antibiotics, cancer therapies, dialysis materials, treatments for chronic and psychiatric conditions, plus fundamental medical consumables.
"Without these supplies, we are losing lives that could have been saved," he said. "This is about preventing a complete humanitarian and medical collapse."
Palestinian health authorities report that since Israel's military campaign against Gaza began, hospitals, clinics, pharmaceutical warehouses and medical personnel have faced repeated attacks, while stringent limitations on humanitarian aid have paralyzed the enclave's healthcare network.
Palestinians have accused Israel of continuously breaching an Oct. 10 ceasefire that ended the genocidal war that has killed more than 71,000 victims, most of them women and children, and injured over 171,000 since October 2023.
At minimum 465 Palestinians have died and nearly 1,287 sustained injuries in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire, according to the Health Ministry.
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