Gaza's Healthcare System "Extremely Fragile" As Israel's Attack Increases At Aid Points: ICRC (image-icrc.org)

Amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has stated that Gaza’s health system is “extremely fragile”. The organisation had warned that, to avert deaths, all services at the remaining healthcare facilities must be “preserved and reinforced”.

In the statement released on Sunday, the organisation stated that due to an increase in the number of casualties arriving at the aid points, they had to activate its mass casualty incident procedure 12 times in total in the last two weeks. They had received a large number of patients with gunshots and shrapnel wounds. As per the report, they have received 933 cases in which 41 were declared dead upon arrival and these numbers are said to be higher than all mass casualty incidents over the twelve months prior combined.

Read also: Israel Abducts Gaza Aid Ship Madleen, Activists Taken to Israel

“An overwhelming majority of patients from the recent incidents said they had been trying to reach assistance distribution sites,” it added.

In a X post, highlighting the devastation of the healthcare system, ICRC stated that with the unprecedented pace at which the high numbers of patients are arriving at the hospital, it has strained and exhausted staff. Even the supplies are being used up faster than they can be replenished.

The healthcare system in Gaza is extremely fragile. To avert preventable deaths, the services of the remaining health-care facilities must be preserved and reinforced. pic.twitter.com/LhPBz6mSpy

— ICRC in Israel & OT (@ICRC_ilot) June 8, 2025

“We continue to receive high numbers of patients on a daily basis, and we are forced to put patients anywhere there is space — stretchers are on the floor,” said Grace Osumo, Hospital Programme Manager.

Ever since the launch of the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution sites on May 27, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed. The Gaza Government’s Media Office had reported on Sunday that the death toll from aid sites had risen to 125, with 736 wounded and nine missing.

The statement further reported that there had been an increase in hostilities around the few remaining and functional hospitals.

Read also: Israel To Seize ‘Madleen’ Aid Ship En Route To Gaza, May Arrest Activists Onboard: Report

As per the international humanitarian law, the wounded patients must receive immediate medical care and attention required by their condition as soon as possible. However, this had also been continuously violated by many until now.

The ICRC had warned that any further loss of life is inevitable without urgent action and had called on for the protection of all remaining healthcare infrastructure and personnel