The Gaza Ministry of Health issued an urgent appeal Wednesday evening, warning of a “severe and critical” shortage of blood units across hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

The alarming shortfall comes amid soaring casualties and a deteriorating humanitarian situation, exacerbated by widespread malnutrition and a near-total blockade on medical aid.

In an official statement, the Ministry called on international, humanitarian, and United Nations agencies to immediately deliver adequate quantities of blood units, stressing that Gaza’s health sector is on the verge of collapse. The appeal follows months of intensified Israeli military operations, including the latest offensive, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots,” launched on May 17.

“Hospitals in the Gaza Strip are facing an acute and dangerous shortage of blood units due to the continuous rise in the number of injuries, the strict Israeli blockade preventing medical supplies from entering, and the deteriorating nutritional status of civilians,” the Ministry said.

The Health Ministry emphasized that the ongoing Israeli assault, now in its eighth consecutive month, has devastated Gaza’s medical infrastructure. Most hospitals are either non-operational or functioning under extreme duress, with limited resources and depleted stockpiles.

Citing its most recent data from April, the Ministry reported that over 37% of essential medications and 59% of medical consumables were completely unavailable. Earlier on Wednesday, medical officials confirmed that hundreds of patients and injured individuals are unable to continue treatment due to the severe shortage of supplies.

The Ministry urged international bodies, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to pressure Israel into allowing the entry of medical materials, particularly blood units urgently needed to treat the growing number of wounded.

It also appealed to the international community and human rights organizations to “fulfill their moral and humanitarian responsibilities and act urgently to save the lives of hundreds of patients and wounded.”

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels since Israel closed all border crossings on March 2, effectively cutting off the entry of food, fuel, medicine, and humanitarian aid. Human rights organizations have described the situation as a campaign of genocide, citing mass civilian casualties, forced displacement, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war.

According to Gaza health officials, the death toll has now surpassed 182,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—with more than 11,000 still missing. Famine and malnutrition have claimed numerous lives, including those of children, and vast swathes of the enclave lie in ruins.

The Gaza Ministry of Health continues to call for immediate international intervention as the territory’s health sector teeters on the brink of total collapse. (ILKHA)