Country: occupied Palestinian territory Source: Medical Aid for Palestinians Six months after the ceasefire agreement in Gaza came into effect on 10 October 2025, Israeli authorities continue to block lifesaving medical and humanitarian aid. With more than half of all essential medications in Gaza out of stock, Palestinians are facing a deepening health catastrophe. Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) warns Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues as medicines run out and most patients are denied medical evacuation, resulting in no meaningful improvement to the daily lives or safety of Palestinians. Despite the ceasefire agreement: More than 53% of essential medicines in Gaza are at zero stock, which means they are fully out of stock. 64% of cancer medications and 68% of chemotherapy drugs are unavailable. Around 70% of medical laboratories have stopped functioning due to a lack of supplies. 90 hospital generators are out of service due to spare parts and oil being blocked. More than 18,500 critically ill patients, including around 4,000 children, still require urgent medical evacuation which remains severely restricted. Around half of all hospitals remain non-functional and there are still no fully functional hospitals in Gaza. Fikr Shalltoot, MAP’s Gaza Director said, ‘Despite the ceasefire agreement, restrictions on the entry of medical supplies and fuel remain so severe that Gaza’s healthcare system is being denied any real chance to recover from two years of systematic destruction. ‘As the world looks away from Gaza, Israel’s genocide continues. We are calling for the urgent entry of medical and humanitarian aid, the reopening of all crossings, and accountability for ongoing violations of international law. This is a ceasefire in name only.’ Most crossings into Gaza remain closed, with only tightly controlled and limited openings at Rafah and Karam Abu Salem for small numbers of aid trucks and medical evacuations. This is severely restricting humanitarian aid entry and means that only about 11,000 of more than 29,000 patients needing life‑saving care have been able to leave since October 2023. Medical referral routes to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, also remain banned. MAP, like many other humanitarian organisations, has been denied access to bring aid and supplies in Gaza since March 2025. Israeli military attacks have also continued despite the ceasefire agreement, putting further pressure on Gaza’s healthcare system. Since October 2025, Israeli forces have killed more than 730 Palestinians, including at least 120 children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. More than 2,000 people have been injured and transferred to health facilities for treatment. Four Palestinian healthcare workers have been killed, and many others remain arbitrarily detained. MAP calls for urgent action to ensure the ceasefire is upheld, becomes permanent and ends Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Member states including the UK must ensure that there is no return to the status quo of occupation and impunity. This means immediately suspending all arms transfers to Israel, including F-35 components. States must take robust and meaningful legal, diplomatic and economic countermeasures to hold perpetrators of international law violations accountable and actively work to end Israel’s unlawful occupation in line with international law. Lasting peace will only be possible through justice, accountability, and the realisation of Palestinian rights. Testimony from healthcare workers: ‘Our teams can’t find even the essential medicines they need. That says everything about how aid is coming in.’ Aid restrictions by Israeli authorities also mean that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians continue to live without the basic necessities of survival, from food to shelter items. MAP’s local teams and partners report that shortages of essential medicines, supplies, and nutritious food affect every aspect of their work: Sobhi, Rehabilitation Coordinator at MAP’s Solidarity Polyclinic, Deir Al-Balah, said: ‘People are still living in some of the worst conditions imaginable: overcrowded displacement camps, tents packed tightly together, sleeping on the ground, and limited access to many basic needs, most importantly water and medicines. We are witnessing the breakdown of social structures caused by the war, such as children who lost parents or entire families. We still see patients with injuries, including people shot in areas that are supposedly far from military presence. I am personally terrified that every area can still be dangerous. ‘The suffering here is never-ending. Every single day is a struggle, and life has become an ongoing hardship. People are exhausted, overwhelmed, and deeply distressed. The impact of the war on Gaza continues, directly and indirectly, despite the so-called ceasefire’. Mai, MAP’s communications officer in Gaza, said: ‘What people outside Gaza need to understand is that daily life is still completely unstable. Healthcare workers are trying to treat patients without knowing if they’ll have the medicines or equipment they need from one day to the next.’ ‘I can go to the market and buy a packet of crisps or chocolate, yet I can find almost no paracetamol. Our teams can’t find even the essential medicines they need. That says everything about how aid is coming in. It’s not what people need, and it’s not reaching the health system in any meaningful way.’ Mohammed, Community Health Worker with MAP, said: ‘Many diseases are now spreading due to the dire circumstances displaced people are forced to live in. For example, more than the third of the patients we’re treating have scabies, a contagious and very unpleasant condition. But due to restrictions, medical treatments are not available; all we can do to help is give patients alternatives, which are not really sufficient. I saw a two-month old baby who was suffering from severe scabies – it was heartbreaking and unforgettable. It’s so upsetting to know that people can’t get or afford the medication they need when it should be their basic right. I wish that the aid people need comes through’. ENDS Notes to editors Sources for statistics above: More than 53% of essential medicines in Gaza are at zero stock, which means they are fully out of stock. - source: Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza (MoH) / Gaza Health Cluster - 16 March 2026 64% of cancer medications and 68% of chemotherapy drugs are unavailable.- source: MoH press release 4 Feb / Gaza Health Cluster - 6 March 2026 Around 70% of medical laboratories have stopped functioning due to a lack of supplies. - source: Gaza Health Cluster - 16 March 2026 90 hospital generators are out of service due to spare parts and oil being blocked. - MoH press release 29 March More than 18,500 critically ill patients, including around 4,000 children, still require urgent medical evacuation which remains severely restricted. - source: WHO/UNOCHA As of 30 March there are no fully functional public hospitals in Gaza. Roughly half of all hospitals are not operational. - source: WHO Link to this press release online: https://www.map.org.uk/latest/news/a-ceasefire-in-name-only For media inquiries or interviews with spokespeople, please contact: Email: [email protected] Phone: +44 (0) 203 869 1310 About Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) works for a future where every Palestinian has access to a comprehensive, effective and locally-led system of healthcare, and the full realisation of their rights to health and dignity. We work in the occupied Palestinian territory and in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. MAP’s local team in Gaza continues to deliver our largest humanitarian response in our history in order to meet critical health and humanitarian needs caused by more than two year’s of Israel’s genocide. Last year, MAP and our local partners delivered nearly two million vital healthcare and humanitarian services to Palestinians in Gaza. Since the ceasefire agreement in October 2025, MAP has supported over 450,480 primary healthcare consultations, reaching more than 112,000 Palestinians across Gaza. For more information please visit: www.map.org.uk

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