Thousands in Gaza suffer hearing damage from Israeli attacks


Tens of thousands of people in Gaza have suffered significant hearing damage due to Israeli bombing since October 2023, the UN said Saturday.

It also said that many people with disabilities have lost their assistive devices such as hearing aids and wheelchairs because of the war.

The UN published the report to mark the International Day of Deafblindness on 27 June.

UN agencies say the war has increased the vulnerability of people with disabilities amid widespread destruction, repeated displacement, a collapse in healthcare services and a severe shortage of medical devices.

Doctors have seen a "dramatic increase" in hearing-related injuries among children and adults since the start of the war, Ramadan Hussein, of the Gaza-based Aftaluna Society for Deaf Children, told The New Arab .

"We are seeing cases of ruptured eardrums, inner ear trauma, severe tinnitus, dizziness, and both partial and profound hearing loss," Hussein said.

"In many cases, the damage is permanent, particularly when patients cannot receive immediate medical treatment or rehabilitation."

The report highlights a lesser-reported impact of what is regarded to be one of the heaviest bombing campaigns of modern history.

Human rights monitor Euro-Med estimates that Israel dropped about 70,000 tons of munitions on Gaza in the first six months of the war, far exceeding the combined bombings of London, Hamburg and Dresden during World War II. Gaza authorities put the figure at 100,000 in May 2025.

Hearing damage caused by the powerful blast waves could mean life or death for a population under almost constant attack by Israeli forces.

"People with hearing loss face multiple risks during armed conflict. Those who cannot hear aircraft, explosions, evacuation announcements, or calls for help may not react quickly enough to protect themselves or their families," Hussein said.

"Children are especially vulnerable because their auditory systems are still developing."

Palestinian authorities estimated before the war that there were about 58,000 people with disabilities in Gaza. This number has now significantly increased, with UN statistics in August indicating more than 33,000 new cases of disability since the start of the war.

The World Health Organisation estimates that about 43,000 people have suffered life-threatening injuries since Israel began attacking Gaza in October 2023. More than 50,000 injuries have required long-term treatment.

Palestinians continue to live in dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza despite October's ceasefire agreement, which was supposed to halt Israeli attacks and lift the blockade.

The vast majority of the population face continued insecurity, living in overcrowded displacement camps without access to basic health, water and sanitation services.

Since the 10 October ceasefire, Israel has continued to prevent medical supplies entering the strip, exacerbating the shortages of essential devices. It has also kept up near-daily attacks across the territory, killing and injuring more than 3,350 people since the ceasefire was supposed to take effect.

Published: Modified: Back to Voices