Gaza reports 4,500 amputations during Israel's genocide

A senior health official reported that at least 4,500 amputations, including those of upper and lower limbs, have been documented since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023.

"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," TRT World quoted Zaher al-Wahidi, a senior official in the Health Information Unit of the Ministry of Health.

Among the amputees, about 800 or 18 percent were children, and 540 or 12 per cent were women. 

Wahidi believed it was an enormity against the civil population, especially against the most vulnerable group, women and children.

He expressed concern that the number of amputations is expected to rise, as the genocidal war continues unabated in the region. The conflict has severely impacted healthcare services, with a critical shortage of medical supplies due to the Israeli siege, which restricts the delivery of aid, medicine, and essential necessities.

Wahidi called for international assistance to address the worsening crisis and demanded immediate action to enforce a ceasefire, which has failed to take hold since October 2023.

Gaza has become "home to the largest group of child amputees in modern history," said Lisa Dutton, an official at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

In addition to the devastation caused by the war, as many as 46,000 people have been killed in Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not been arrested, despite the issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Court of Justice.

The United States vehemently opposed the warrant, and several European countries have shown reluctance to enforce it. Poland even granted Netanyahu immunity during visit to the country for the Auschwitz memorial ceremony on January 27.