Beyond the battlefield: an analysis of the war-related health impacts in the Gaza strip, Palestine

In Palestine, particularly the Gaza Strip, the ongoing military aggression has triggered a complex health crisis that extends beyond visible injuries and hospital admissions. The destruction of healthcare infrastructure, loss of medical personnel, and shortages of essential supplies have exacerbated numerous underreported health challenges. Drawing upon reports from WHO and UN agencies, as well as peer-reviewed scientific literature, this perspective highlights the obscured morbidities of war, including disrupted immunization programs, menstrual supply insecurity, reproductive health complications, delayed cancer diagnosis and treatment, and the collapse of rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities. Routine immunization, a cornerstone of neonatal survival and infectious disease prevention, has plummeted due to insecurity, displacement, and the collapse of health services, elevating the risk of vaccine-preventable outbreaks. Menstrual health, often overlooked in conflict settings, faces severe disruption. The lack of sanitary products, water, pain management, and disposal facilities increases the risk of reproductive tract infections, infertility, and considerable psychological distress. Reproductive health is under siege, with rising rates of congenital anomalies, miscarriages, and maternal complications, which are mostly associated with ongoing malnutrition, toxicant exposure, and chronic stress, reflecting the breakdown of prenatal care and violations of reproductive rights. Cancer control efforts, already constrained by limited resources, now face further setbacks due to delayed diagnoses, restricted treatment access, and the destruction of oncology services. Environmental pollution from military actions and long-term reliance on unhealthy food may elevate cancer incidence in the coming years. Meanwhile, escalating violence has led to a surge in irreversible disabilities, particularly among children. Yet rehabilitation services remain inaccessible, compounding physical and psychological suffering. Herein, global health and humanitarian actors are called urgently to expand their focus beyond acute trauma and address these obscured health burdens with urgency. A rights-based, equity-driven approach is essential to restore dignity and health justice for Palestinians living under siege.