Palestinian Ministry of Health - Gaza:

▪Physical therapy and medical rehabilitation services in Gaza have become a critical lifeline and the first line of defense in preventing permanent disabilities among thousands of wounded and injured people.

▪The genocidal war on the Gaza Strip has left an unprecedented humanitarian and health catastrophe, leading to a massive rise in the number of wounded, especially cases of double amputations and complex limb salvage, with about 5,000 amputation cases and 300 cases of neurological and spinal cord injuries.

▪About 10,000 cases need intensive and long-term rehabilitation.

▪The direct targeting of health institutions and the forced shutdown of most rehabilitation centers has left thousands of patients and injured people facing the risk of complications due to the severe shortage of medical supplies and prosthetic limbs and restrictions on travel for treatment abroad.

▪We call on international organizations and UN bodies to urgently coordinate and intervene to bring in rehabilitation supplies and devices and prosthetic limbs.

▪We stress the need to open the crossings to facilitate the travel of critical cases that need advanced rehabilitation centers and prosthetic limb implantation using high technologies.

▪We extend greetings and appreciation to the physical therapy and medical rehabilitation staff in the Gaza Strip, who have continued to carry out their mission under the harshest conditions.

▪The determination of physical therapy specialists to work under bombardment and harsh conditions represents a bright image of humanity and national duty.

▪Supporting physical therapy staff and providing the means for them to work is an ethical and humanitarian matter that cannot be delayed.