Study: Gaza Hospitals Overwhelmed, Injuries Unusually Severe

A British-led study published in The BMJ surveyed 78 international clinicians from 22 NGOs who treated patients in Gaza and found 'unusually severe' traumatic injuries — complex blast wounds, firearm injuries and severe burns — that many said exceeded what they'd seen in other modern conflicts. Participants contributed 322 weeks of frontline care and emphasized an urgent need for rehabilitation and long-term health-system rebuilding. The study’s findings come amid mass civilian casualties, publicly reported tallies in the tens of thousands killed and many more wounded, and repeated strikes that have closed hospitals, children’s centres and essential services. Ongoing Israeli strikes and a major ground offensive have caused large-scale displacement in Gaza City, with hundreds of thousands fleeing or trapped, and recent strikes have killed dozens, according to hospital and news agency reports. Frontline clinicians described catastrophic conditions — blood-soaked floors, patients treated on the ground or on pallets, amputations and severe shortages of basic supplies — while some hospitals have been shut or rendered barely functional. Allegations of shootings around some aid distribution points and constrained diplomacy underline an urgent need for coordinated immediate medical response, humanitarian access and long-term planning for Gaza’s health system.