4,500 amputations reported in Gaza amid Israeli war: Health official

A senior health official in the Gaza Strip announced Friday that the Health Ministry documented 4,500 amputations, including upper and lower limbs, since the beginning of the Israeli genocidal war against the enclave.

"We have recorded 4,500 amputation cases by the end of 2024, as a result of the continuous Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks on Gaza," Zaher Al-Wahidi, the head of the Health Information Unit at the ministry, said in a statement.

He reported that about 800 of the amputees were children, making up 18% of the cases, while 540 women accounted for 12% of the amputations.

Wahidi stressed that the figures reveal the enormity of the humanitarian catastrophe facing the civilian population, particularly the most vulnerable groups -- children and women.

He added that the number of amputations will likely continue to rise as the genocidal war persists, exacerbating the already dire strain on the health care system which is grappling with critical shortages of medical supplies due to the blockade that has been imposed for more than 18 years.

Since the Israeli war began Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli army has deliberately targeted health care facilities, bombing hospitals and forcing evacuations while blocking essential medical supplies, particularly in the north, which has been heavily attacked since Oct. 5.

Wahidi urgently called for international support to address the worsening crisis, demanding immediate action to halt Israeli violations and protecting the civilian population.

In response to the escalating number of amputations among children, Lisa Dutton, an official at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said in October that Gaza had become "home to the largest group of child amputees in modern history."

The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 46,000 victims, mostly women and children, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.