Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are living with untreated complex fractures more than two years into Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave , as a collapsed healthcare system and restrictions on travel leave many unable to complete treatment.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 170,000 people have been injured during the war, with a significant portion suffering severe orthopaedic damage.
Zaher al-Wahidi, head of the ministry’s information systems department, told The New Arab : "Around 18% of Gaza’s injured need long-term rehabilitation, and they are being treated according to the available resources."
He added that around 20,000 patients have medical referrals to travel abroad, including 2,400 urgent cases and 197 life-saving ones, but only a fraction have been able to leave.
"Since the new travel mechanism began in February 2026, only around 700 patients have been able to leave, making the evacuation process slow and delaying treatment," he said.
Hospitals across Gaza, already strained by war damage and shortages, are struggling to treat complex fractures that require specialised surgery and long-term care. Patients often wait hours for consultations, many relying on crutches or wheelchairs as they endure worsening conditions.
Atef al-Ghaliz, 52, who was shot by a drone in December 2023, has been waiting more than two years for surgery to replace a damaged foot joint.
Sitting outside al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, he told The New Arab : "The wounds and fractures have not healed for more than two years, and complications and infections have developed because my body is not accepting the fixator."
He said the lack of treatment options in Gaza has left him in constant pain.
"My condition requires treatment abroad because the capabilities in Gaza are limited. The wound keeps getting infected, my suffering is worsening," he added.
Others face similarly prolonged suffering. Khodr Mohammad Nasr, 50, said he has undergone multiple procedures without improvement.
"The fractures are still not healed. The wound has not closed, and I live with daily pain," he told The New Arab , adding that he has been waiting two years to travel for surgery.
Doctors warn that untreated fractures can lead to permanent disability or amputation. Mahmoud Matar, head of the complex fractures department at Nasser Hospital, said such injuries are particularly dangerous due to their impact on blood circulation.
"Complex fractures are injuries involving severe damage to bones, tissues and muscles," he told The New Arab , adding that complications such as infection can lead to secondary amputations.
He said shortages of staff and equipment are severely limiting treatment capacity.
"If equipment were sufficiently available, we could perform around 30 surgeries per month, but due to the shortage, we cannot carry out more than 10 at most," he said, noting that doctors are sometimes forced to reuse sterilised tools due to a lack of supplies.
The ministry estimates that around 12,000 patients have complex fractures, with about 900 requiring reconstructive surgery. During the war, around 5,000 amputations have been carried out, including 1,200 involving children, according to Matar.
Even for those who survive initial injuries, recovery remains uncertain. "Initial success is only preserving the limb and achieving bone healing," Matar said.
"After that comes an equally important stage: rehabilitation and intensive physiotherapy so the patient can use the limb again."
Out of Gaza’s 36-37 hospitals, only around 19 remain operational.
However, due to Israel's policy of targeting all medical facilities in the enclave, none of the hospitals are fully functional, according to UN and health agency data.
The health crisis is exacerbated by the continued Israeli blockade, which means what remains of Gaza's hospitals are deprived of life-saving medicines and equipment.