Gaza: Israel denies treatment and dignity to children left amputees by its genocide
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor reports on 4 November 2026:
The amputation of the limbs of hundreds of children as a result of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, followed by the deliberate and ongoing disruption of their treatment and rehabilitation and restrictions on access to prosthetic limbs and assistive devices, is causing them severe physical and psychological harm and exacerbating the lasting consequences of their injuries. Causing these injuries and then undermining the means to treat them falls within the genocide Israel is committing against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The effects of amputation and interrupted treatment reach beyond the injured children to their families, who must care for them while facing the loss of housing, income, and basic services. The harm also affects the Palestinian community as a whole: the scale of the injuries, lack of treatment, and destruction of the institutions and resources needed to care for the injured undermine the foundations of Palestinian society’s survival and its capacity to recover.
As of 9 October 2026, 1,134 children have undergone amputation. Their care requires long-term medical follow-up and rehabilitation, including wound care, pain management, physiotherapy, and psychological support. It also involves fitting suitable prosthetic limbs and adjusting or replacing them as children grow. This requires continuity of care and access to essential supplies. Interruptions make it harder to prevent complications and help children achieve the greatest possible independence in movement and daily activities.
Because suitable prosthetic limbs are often unavailable, some children rely on PVC pipes and other rudimentary devices to walk, manage daily needs, and return to play with their peers, even though these devices can cause pain, make balancing difficult, and lead to repeated falls
Israel’s restrictions on patient travel and obstruction of medical evacuations further limit children’s access to specialised treatment unavailable inside the Gaza Strip. These barriers prolong interruptions in care and reduce their chances of preventing complications and regaining independence in movement and daily activities. Displacement also forces them to cross rubble and uneven ground and live in tents and shelters without accessible sanitation facilities. This makes it harder to reach treatment and use mobility aids, while forcing family members to carry them and help with basic needs.
According to the World Health Organization’s May 2026 update on rehabilitation needs in Gaza, only 500 of the 2,300 people assessed after limb amputations between September 2024 and May 2026 had received permanent prosthetics. This is less than 25 per cent of those assessed, including both children and adults. When the update was published, all rehabilitation facilities were “operating with severe constraints in staffing, equipment or supplies”, and none was fully functional.
The local capacity to provide these services remains constrained by shortages of staff and supplies.