Palestinian Health Systems Near Collapse Amid Israeli Gaza Strikes

Palestinian Ambassador to India Abdullah Abu Shawesh warned on August 13 that health systems in Gaza and the West Bank are on the brink of collapse. Shawesh reported that approximately 11,000 surgeries were delayed over the previous two months due to critical medicine shortages. He characterized the ongoing suffering of Palestinians as political fuel for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to maintain power in upcoming elections.

Israeli military forces continued operations across the Gaza Strip on August 14, killing two Palestinians through airstrikes and artillery. In Gaza City, fighter jets assassinated Colonel Jamal Mahmoud Abu Kamil, the Director of Police in Gaza Governorate, by targeting his vehicle. In southern Gaza, a strike in the Al-Amal neighborhood of Khan Younis killed Huthaifa Kaware’.

Additional military activity included drone strikes at the Al-Hilal sports hall in Khan Younis and gunfire directed at tents for displaced Palestinians in Al-Mawasi. Médecins Sans Frontières warned that Israeli restrictions on engine oil and spare parts are risking the collapse of hospitals and essential services. Health officials report 1,260 Palestinians have been killed since a ceasefire took effect on October 11, 2025.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that Israel will not withdraw from its current lines in Gaza until Hamas is completely disarmed.