A study published Tuesday in The Lancet warns that Gaza is facing a surge in antibiotic-resistant diseases, driven by contaminated water, critical shortages of medical supplies, and widespread malnutrition under Israel’s ongoing blockade and military assault.

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The research identifies a sharp rise in multidrug-resistant bacteria in the Gaza Strip since the start of Israel’s war on Palestinians on October 7, 2023.

“This will mean longer and more severe illnesses, as well as a high risk of transmission. It means a greater risk of death from very common infections. It means more amputations. It’s a terrible picture,” said Krystel Moussally, epidemiology adviser for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and co-author of studies on drug-resistant bacteria in Gaza and other conflict zones in West Asia.

The health crisis has been compounded by severe shortages of medical supplies due to the blockade, tens of thousands of people injured in Israeli attacks, and a population weakened by hunger.

The study draws on more than 1,300 patient samples collected at Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, home to one of the few functioning microbiology laboratories in the enclave. Two-thirds of the samples, taken over a 10-month period last year, contained multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Alongside bacterial infections, Gaza has also seen the emergence of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.

Bilal Irfan, co-author of the study and bioethicist affiliated with Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the University of Michigan, described the findings as “particularly alarming.” He noted that the true extent of the crisis is unknown due to the destruction of most laboratories and the killing of much of the medical workforce.

While Gaza has faced high levels of drug-resistant bacteria for decades as a result of repeated Israeli assaults and a blockade in place since 2007, experts say the current situation is without precedent. The healthcare system has been decimated, waste collection and sanitation services have nearly collapsed, and hunger is widespread among Gaza’s 2.3 million residents — conditions that make infections more likely and more severe.

On Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged Israel to allow the pre-positioning of medical supplies to respond to what it called a “catastrophic” health situation in Gaza.

“The overall health situation remains catastrophic,” said Rik Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative in the occupied Palestinian territories. “Hunger and malnutrition continue to ravage Gaza.”

The authors of the Lancet study warned that the threat from drug-resistant bacteria will only worsen unless Israel’s offensive and attacks on hospitals, laboratories, and water desalination plants end.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, Israel’s assault has killed 61,599 Palestinians and wounded 154,088 since October 7, 2023.

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