Israel’s war against Gaza leaves around 10,000 Palestinians disabled

Due to Israel’s ongoing indiscriminate war on Gaza, around 10,000 Palestinians in the besieged enclave are suffering from various disabilities, an NGO said on Saturday.

The Palestinian Wafa A news agency reported that the Rehabilitation Sector of the Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO) warned of Israel’s attacks and their devastating consequences for the people of the Gaza Strip.

A statement from the network said that hundreds of disabled people have been killed and thousands more injured in the war since October 7.

The NGO added that the destruction of key infrastructure, including roads and rehabilitation centers, by Israeli forces has severely restricted the freedom of movement and access to services of people with disabilities.

“This has significantly compromised their ability to mobilise and evacuate safely and has resulted in the loss of vital resources that have been abandoned in the face of bombardment,” Wafa reported, citing findings from the NGO.

The group stressed that people with disabilities face even greater difficulties in refugee camps due to a lack of basic services and overcrowding.

Israel’s blockade of aid and the fact that some parts of Gaza are on the brink of famine because of the war have made access to food and medicine even more difficult for people with disabilities.

The NGO reiterated that people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition and chronic diseases, which significantly increase their risk of death.

Since the beginning of the war, thousands of children in Gaza have lost limbs. Al-Jazeera In February, figures showed that since the war in the Gaza Strip began, about ten children have lost a limb every day.

According to Relief Web, before October 7, 21 percent of households in Gaza had at least one disabled member. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said this equates to around 58,000 people with disabilities.

Israel’s war against Gaza has killed at least 37,834 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since October and injured at least 86,858 others during the same period.