Gaza City: Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Friday that the number of wounded in the Gaza Strip who are suffering from burns is increasing amid poor health care under the Israeli siege on the war-devastated enclave.
According to Anadolu Agency, MSF reported that its "teams have seen an increase in the number of patients with burn injuries - most of them children," since Israel resumed its assault on Gaza in mid-March. The medical charity highlighted that as Israeli authorities maintain the siege on Gaza, the blockade on access to basic aid, medical, and life-saving supplies leaves many patients enduring excruciating pain with limited or no relief.
MSF elaborated that patients suffering burns from bomb explosions and improvised cooking methods are left with few options for care. Severe burns require complex and long-term care, including surgeries, wound dressings, physiotherapy, and pain management. The NGO emphasized that while burn patients require a high level of healthcare, they also need over double the number of daily calories to heal properly. However, with no food entering Gaza, patients are surviving on insufficient amounts of food, jeopardizing their recovery.
Israel has closed Gaza's border crossings to food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid since March 2, triggering a deepening humanitarian disaster, according to reports from government bodies, human rights groups, and international agencies. The Israeli army resumed its assault on Gaza on March 18, breaking a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement established on January 19.
Reports indicate that Israel has killed more than 51,400 Palestinians in the enclave since October 2023, with most of the casualties being women and children. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Furthermore, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.