The Palestinian Ministry of Health has warned that 6,000 amputees in Gaza now require urgent and long-term rehabilitation after suffering limb loss during Israel’s ongoing war.
In a statement released today to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Gaza’s Health Ministry said the scale of amputations and permanent injuries reflects a “shocking and unprecedented humanitarian crisis,” with thousands of Palestinians facing life-long disabilities without access to adequate medical care.
The ministry also highlighted that children account for a significant portion of those who have lost limbs, with 25% of all amputation cases involving minors. These children, it said, now face permanent disabilities at an early age due to the near-total collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system and the lack of long-term rehabilitation services.
According to the statement, thousands of wounded civilians and their families are enduring “deep humanitarian suffering,” and the ministry urged the international community to intervene immediately by providing physical rehabilitation, prosthetics, and psychological and social support. Officials stressed that without sustained intervention, amputees will struggle to adapt to their new circumstances or regain basic mobility.
The enclave’s health ministry also appealed to international organisations to prioritise specialised care for amputees, warning that the absence of structured rehabilitation will have lifelong consequences, particularly for children who require continuous adjustments of prosthetic limbs as they grow.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), said Gaza has become home to the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world since Israel’s genocidal war started in October 2023. Since then, more than 70,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children – have been killed, and over 171,000 injured.
Unprecedented suffering
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A joint statement released on Tuesday by 12 Israeli human rights groups described 2025 as the most “deadly and destructive year” for Palestinians since 1967, noting that Israel has doubled its killings and displacement of civilians across Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The groups said human rights violations that were once considered exceptional had become routine features of Palestinian life. The report highlighted that 1.9 million people in Gaza – around 90% of the population – were displaced in 2025, up from one million the previous year. The forced displacement has compounded the suffering of amputees and the injured, many of whom still lack adequate medical attention despite the ceasefire that took effect on 10 October.
The occupied West Bank also saw a sharp rise in settler violence throughout 2025, with about 1,200 attacks recorded – a significant increase compared to previous years. The violence culminated in the full displacement of 44 Palestinian herding communities and the partial emptying of 10 others, forcing 2,932 people, including 1,326 children, from their homes.
The human rights groups said: “2025 revealed a reality previously unimaginable: a state operating without limits, systematically violating international law, dismantling the very values it claims to uphold. Israel cannot claim morality or self-defence.”
Despite the ceasefire, Gaza’s medical system remains critically damaged, and the rehabilitation of more than 171,000 wounded Palestinians – including the 6,000 amputees – poses an immense and urgent challenge for the international community.
