Human Rights Group Warns: Over 10,000 Disabled in Gaza Due to Israeli Military Actions As Numbers Continue to Climb

The ongoing Israeli aggression compelled tens of thousands of disabled individuals to seek refuge, exposing them to harsh living conditions and psychological trauma

The Palestinian NGO Network Rehabilitation Sector has warned of the severe aftermath of escalating Israeli aggression in Gaza reporting that around 10,000 individuals have been left with disabilities following the attacks.

According to their released statement, hundreds of disabled individuals have lost their lives, while tens of thousands more have been compelled to flee, enduring harsh displacement conditions and profound psychological trauma.

“The Israeli military’s major ground offensive in Gaza adds immeasurably to the serious difficulties for people with disabilities to flee, find shelter, and obtain water, food, medicine, and assistive devices they desperately need,” said Emina ?erimovi?, senior disability rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The United States and other Israeli allies should press Israel to take all necessary steps to protect people with disabilities and lift the blockade.”

A critical issue highlighted is the continuous destruction by the Israeli military, which has devastated infrastructure, main roads, and rehabilitation centers.

This has severely restricted the movement and access to services for persons with disabilities. As a result, they face significant challenges in mobilizing safely and have lost vital assistive devices abandoned during the bombardments.

Ziad Amro, a blind resident of the West Bank and president of the Palestine Association For Visually Impaired Persons, says he has been in daily contact, as connectivity permits, with members of the disabled population in Gaza.

“They have no access to life essentials — food, water, communication, internet, phones,” Amro said. He also noted that electric wheelchairs and devices to assist blind people are rendered useless without power, underscoring the widespread mobility and accessibility challenges faced by many.

The Israeli military had announced the start of a new military operation in the densely populated Shujayea neighborhood.

According to reports, Israel carried out three massacres within 24 hours, resulting in the deaths of 40 Palestinians and injuries to 224 others.

Hamas Accuses U.S. of Supporting Israeli Blockade in Gaza

A senior Hamas official warned that the situation in Gaza has reached a tragic point, with imminent casualties expected due to food shortages pushing the Strip toward famine.

During a press conference discussing the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza, Osama Hamdan stated that UN estimates show that 70% of Gaza’s population is facing famine. He added that Israel’s policy of blockading crossings has contributed to a liquidity crisis, worsening the famine situation in Gaza.

He highlighted that Israeli occupation forces are systematically destroying roads, water networks, and sewage systems, denying the people of Gaza access to drinking water.

The Hamas official also underscored that the Israeli occupation’s measures resemble a more advanced form of “Nazi detention and extermination camps, even worse.

Hamdan emphasized that the floating pier constructed by the United States in Gaza is mere propaganda and has not effectively facilitated aid delivery. They noted that aid has instead decreased since its establishment.