Gaza; Home to the largest group of child amputees

Director of the Health Information Department Zaher Al-Wahid confirmed: “We have recorded 4,500 amputations as of the end of 2024 as a result of the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.”

Al-Wahid explained that around 800 Palestinian children’s cases have been documented, representing 18 per cent of the total number of recorded amputations.

The Palestinian health official stated that 540 women were also among these cases, representing 12 per cent of the total number.

Al-Wahid added: “These numbers reflect the extent of the humanitarian catastrophe that Palestinian civilians are suffering, especially the most vulnerable groups, which are children and women.”

Also, Lisa Dutton, an official at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said in response to the increase in the number of amputations among children: Gaza has become home to the largest group of child amputations in modern history.

Doctors and government officials expect the number of amputations, especially among children, to be several times the announced number, as it is difficult to present accurate statistics considering the ongoing genocide and the subsequent destruction of civilian facilities.

Al-Wahid stated that the numbers are likely to rise as the genocide continues, putting further pressure on the healthcare system, which is already suffering a shortage of medical supplies due to the ongoing siege imposed on the Strip for over 18 years