The need for prosthetic limbs in the Gaza Strip has increased dramatically in the wake of Israel’s genocide, with a sharp rise in the number of amputations among citizens.
Israel has created thousands of disabled people in Gaza
Ministry of Health data from Gaza shows that around 6,000 amputations were recorded during the war, in addition to nearly 2,000 amputations recorded before 7 October 2023.
The data indicates that children account for approximately 12.5% of all amputations, or nearly 1,500 children, which compounds the health and social challenges and places a long-term burden on rehabilitation and care programmes.
The effects of amputation are not limited to the medical aspect, but extend to the details of daily life, where those affected face great difficulties in movement and mobility, self-reliance, and securing basic needs, in an environment that lacks adequate infrastructure, with destroyed homes and displacement camps that do not take into account the needs of people with disabilities. The loss of limbs also affects the ability to work and receive education, increasing dependence on family and aid at a time when families are already suffering from harsh living and economic conditions.
On the other hand, Gaza’s provision of prosthetic limbs faces significant difficulties as a result of Israel’s complete closure of crossings, which has halted the entry of prosthetic limb components and all medical equipment and supplies without exception. The previously approved mechanism relied on local medical device companies with accredited agencies, but this mechanism has been completely halted with the continued closure.
Long, unbearable waits
With the depletion of available stock, which was sufficient for only about 130 cases, waiting lists for injured people have grown, while pending orders are still waiting to be allowed in. In parallel, medical rehabilitation, physiotherapy and psychosocial support programmes are being implemented to prepare patients for the fitting of prosthetic limbs when they become available.
The current capacity for prosthetic limb fitting in Gaza is around 200 limbs per year, with plans to increase this to 500 limbs per year. However, this capacity remains limited compared to the scale of need, particularly given the acute shortage of specialists in this rare field.
Sheikh Hamad Rehabilitation and Prosthetics Hospital is one of the most prominent rehabilitation facilities in the Gaza Strip. Since its opening in April 2019 until October 2025, it has provided services to approximately 52,000 beneficiaries with various disabilities. Since March 2025, it has also provided prosthetic limb fitting services to approximately 130 cases, in addition to medical rehabilitation and audiological treatment services to nearly 9,000 cases.
Featured image via the Canary
By Alaa Shamali
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