Gaza’s healthcare system has been shattered by war. According to the World Health Organization, six of the territory’s seven dialysis centers have been destroyed. Before the war, Gaza had 182 dialysis machines; now, just 102 remain, with only 27 in the north.

The WHO says these losses are worsened by a complete lack of kidney medications. "Israel" has repeatedly raided hospitals during the war, claiming Hamas uses them for military activity, allegations denied by hospital staff, who say the raids have decimated Gaza’s already fragile healthcare infrastructure.

Dr. Ghazi al-Yazigi, head of nephrology and dialysis at Al-Shifa Hospital, said that at least 417 dialysis patients have died during the war due to insufficient treatment. “This leads to complications such as increased levels of toxins and fluid accumulation … which could lead to death,” he said. The total number of patients receiving dialysis when the war began was around 1,100.

Struggling to survive

Now, like Mohamed Attiya, many must accept fewer and shorter sessions, increasing the risk of deadly complications.

Mohamed Attiya, 54, depends on twice-weekly dialysis sessions at Al-Shifa Hospital to manage the kidney failure he’s lived with for nearly 15 years. “It just brings you back from death,” said the father of six. He now uses a wheelchair to reach the hospital from a temporary shelter in western Gaza City, after being displaced at least six times. “There is no transportation. Streets are damaged,” he said. “Life is difficult and expensive.”

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Once able to walk to his appointments, Attiya now says he suffers from hallucinations due to toxin buildup in his blood. “The occupation does not care about the suffering or the sick,” he said. His treatment sessions are shorter and less frequent than medically recommended, and he can’t afford the mineral water he needs.

Since the war began, more than 400 dialysis patients, or roughly 40% of such patients in Gaza, have died due to treatment shortages, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Eleven have died just since March when "Israel" blocked all imports into Gaza, including food, fuel, and medicine. Israeli occupation authorities say the move aims to pressure Hamas into releasing captives, effectively blackmailing sick, helpless civilians.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli agency managing aid coordination, previously claimed that all medical supplies are approved when crossings are open and that 45,400 tons of equipment have entered Gaza since the war began. 

However, images of Gaza residents arriving with empty pots and bowls at markets where goods are reportedly selling for up to 1,400% more than ceasefire prices paint a different picture, according to the latest assessment from the World Health Organization.

Gaza is facing a deeper humanitarian crisis due to the unprecedented seven-week-long Israeli military blockade, which has cut off all aid to the Gaza Strip. Food stockpiled during the two-month ceasefire has been exhausted, leaving Palestinians in Gaza desperate at charity kitchens.

One man’s fight shared by thousands

Mohamed Kamel, another dialysis patient at Al-Shifa Hospital, began treatment only this year after developing kidney failure during the war.

“I feel no improvement after each session,” he said. Kamel has missed multiple sessions due to displacement and the brutal war. He recalled missing one while sheltering in central Gaza due to a nearby bombing. He was later rushed to a hospital by ambulance. “The displacement has had consequences,” he said. “I am tired.”

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 51,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, have been killed since "Israel's" genocide in Gaza began.