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Gaza hospitals struggle to maintain medical services amid restricted access

At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, wounded patients receive treatment in wards operated by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) amid shortages of medical supplies, equipment and specialist care. Medical staff say continued restrictions could force operations to stop as early as March if conditions do not change.

January 18, 2026 at 12:41 pm

Hospitals across Gaza continue to operate under severe strain as access restrictions limit the delivery of medical services, leaving patients and healthcare workers struggling to cope with growing needs, Anadolu reports.

At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, wounded patients receive treatment in wards operated by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) amid shortages of medical supplies, equipment and specialist care. Medical staff say continued restrictions could force operations to stop as early as March if conditions do not change.

Palestinian father Ismail Abduljabbar Abu Redde receives treatment at the hospital after losing two daughters in an attack that hit the area where his family was staying following displacement. He remains among patients affected by the prolonged conflict and repeated displacement.

Mohammed Abu Jasser, supervisor of the Burns and Reconstructive Surgery Unit operated by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) at Nasser Hospital, says the facility treats patients suffering from multiple trauma, fractures and severe burns. He says a large number of patients depend on these services, as there are no alternative facilities in Gaza capable of providing similar care.

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Abu Jasser says any suspension of MSF activities in Gaza would leave hundreds of patients without access to critical treatment. He adds that restrictions on the entry of medical supplies and specialist medical teams would result in many patients being left without care, making it impossible to sustain medical services under current conditions.

Since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced on Oct. 10, 2025, Israel has killed more than 400 Palestinians in repeated violations of the agreement.

Israel has also continued to violate a UN Security Council resolution adopted in November 2025 calling for a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid and the reconstruction of the territory.

The Israeli army has killed more than 71,000 victims, most of them women and children, and injured over 171,000 in a brutal offensive since October 2023 that has left Gaza in ruins.

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