Gaza: Six Months After Ineffective Ceasefire, Attack Casualties Persist

A ceasefire in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, effective October 10, 2025, has been largely ineffective six months later, as Israeli military attacks and military control continue to expand. Humanitarian aid efforts are obstructed, resulting in severe living conditions and a high number of preventable deaths. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) urges governments to pressure Israeli authorities to ensure civilian protection and permit humanitarian aid. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, from October 10, 2025, to April 8, 2026, at least 733 individuals were killed and 1,913 injured. MSF consistently responds to mass casualty incidents, having treated at least 244 attack-related injured patients, many of whom were children. Since the ceasefire, MSF has performed over 40,000 medical procedures for injuries caused by bullets and explosions. In two temporary hospitals, MSF provided over 15,000 trauma treatments post-ceasefire, including for recent injuries and ongoing patient care. MSF's clinic in northern Gaza City alone conducted over 18,000 medical procedures, with more than 60% related to trauma. Claire San Filippo, MSF Emergency Response Manager, stated that the "genocide of Palestinians in Gaza has not ended" and that Israeli authorities continue to impose conditions that destroy lives, with attacks persisting in a devastating state despite reduced intensity. Aid activities are hampered by Israel's rejection of registration for 37 international NGOs, including MSF. Since January 1, 2026, Israeli authorities have completely blocked MSF from bringing medical and humanitarian supplies into Gaza. Medical evacuations for patients requiring specialized treatment outside Gaza are also obstructed by Israel. The WHO reports that over 18,500 people in Gaza, including 4,000 children, are currently awaiting medical evacuation. MSF facilities face critical shortages of essential medical supplies such as gauze, bandages, sterile items (gloves, gowns, disinfectants), and medications for non-communicable diseases like insulin. This situation severely impacts chronic disease treatment and exacerbates suffering, as highlighted by Rami Abu Anza, an MSF local nurse, who noted the deaths of elderly family members with chronic diseases due to lack of medicine and deteriorating conditions. Mohammed Abo Zaina, a 69-year-old NCD patient registered with MSF, described the severe mental and physical distress caused by the unavailability of essential medications for hypertension, diabetes, and heart conditions. Living spaces are shrinking, and 90% of Gaza's population is displaced, residing in tents or temporary shelters. From October 2025 to March 2026, common ailments observed in MSF-supported clinics in Khan Younis' Mawasi district and Al-Attar included upper respiratory infections (42%), skin diseases like scabies and lice (16.7%), and diarrhea (8.4%), all linked to overcrowded and poor living conditions.