GAZA, (PIC)
Inshirah Hajjaj, a diabetic patient living in a displacement tent in Gaza City, says that fear is no longer limited to shelling or hunger, but has extended to the night itself, as sleeping at night carries with it the obsession of rats walking over them, between their covers, and on their food.
These scenes do not just mean a nuisance, but a direct threat to the life of Inshirah and her family, as any simple wound may lead to serious complications reaching the point of amputation.
Inshirah’s story is not an exception, but reflects a worsening reality in the Gaza Strip, where cases of rodent bites are occurring in light of a stifling environmental crisis resulting from the accumulation of waste and the spread of sewage water, at a time when the Israeli siege imposes strict restrictions on the entry of fuel and equipment, which portends a health disaster threatening thousands of residents.
A medical source reported that the Strip’s hospitals, especially in Gaza City, recently recorded dozens of injuries resulting from rodent bites, affecting children, the elderly, chronic patients, and women.
The source said that these injuries caused health complications, including acute infections, warning of the risks of “deformities or amputation in some cases.”
The Palestinian Minister of Health, Majed Abu Ramadan, previously warned of the outbreak of epidemics in the Strip, as a result of a dangerous escalation in the spread of rodents, in light of a sharp deterioration in environmental conditions.
The Regional Director of the World Health Organization, Hanan Balkhy, also warned that the spread of diseases in Gaza does not only threaten the Strip, but may extend to the entire region, in light of Israeli restrictions on the entry of medical aid.
A stifling environmental crisis
The spokesperson for the Gaza Municipality, Hosni Muhanna, attributes the outbreak of rodents and insects to the accumulation of waste, the spread of sewage water, and the destruction of infrastructure, in addition to the piled-up rubble, which provides an ideal environment for their reproduction.
He explained that the environmental situation in the city has reached the stage of a “real disaster,” with the accumulation of about 350,000 tons of waste, as a result of the inability of municipality crews to reach the landfills, the destruction of machinery, and the lack of fuel.
He added that this waste has become a breeding ground for rodents and disease-carrying insects, in light of the lack of pesticides and toxic baits due to the siege and the prevention of their entry.
These warnings come in light of the inability of municipalities to collect waste, due to the lack of fuel and the prevention of access to the main landfills in the eastern areas of the Strip.
The suffering is not limited to Inshirah, as the displaced person Basil al-Dahnoun, 47 years old, who suffers from diabetes and kidney failure, recounts that he was bitten by a rat while he was sleeping without feeling it, due to the loss of sensation resulting from his illness.
He said, “I woke up to find my foot bleeding,” adding that his condition required continuous treatment for fear of complications that could lead to the amputation of the foot.
He emphasized that the environment surrounding the tents is contaminated with sewage water, waste, and insects, which increases the risk of infection, especially among patients, the elderly, and children.
An exhausted health system
For his part, the consultant of medicine and emergencies at Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Munir al-Shakhrit, said that the hospital receives increasing cases of rodent bites, explaining that dealing with them depends on the health status of the patient, especially those with chronic diseases.
He pointed to the possibility of serious complications such as “rat-bite fever” or bacterial infections that may require admitting patients to intensive care, calling for immediate recourse to hospitals when exposed to any bite.
This crisis coincides with a sharp deterioration in the health sector, as hospitals suffer from a drug deficit estimated at about 50%, a shortage of medical consumables by 57%, and laboratory testing materials by a rate reaching 71%, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
The Ministry warned that this shortage threatens the ability of the health system to respond to the increasing needs, in light of a “near-complete collapse” of the health system.
Despite the ceasefire agreement coming into effect on October 10, 2025, the humanitarian conditions in the Strip, which includes about 2.4 million people including 1.4 million displaced persons, remain deteriorated, in light of Israel’s lack of commitment to the terms of the agreement, especially regarding opening the crossings and bringing in aid.
Israel also continues to prevent the entry of fuel, heavy equipment, and spare parts, which hinders the operation of water wells and electricity generators, and limits the ability of municipalities to remove waste and operate vital facilities.
During the war that began on October 7, 2023, and continued for more than two years, Israeli attacks resulted in the martyrdom of more than 72,000 Palestinians, and the injury of more than 172,000, most of whom were children and women, in addition to the destruction of about 90% of the infrastructure in the Strip.
In light of this reality, Inshirah’s fears of sleeping at night seem to be a reflection of a broader tragedy, where environmental, health, and humanitarian crises overlap, in a scene that portends a disaster that is difficult to contain unless the siege is lifted. إذا لم يُسمح لمعبر مثل رفح بالعمل بكامل طاقته،فإن التداعيات الإنسانية لن تتحسن على أرض الواقع بالسرعة الكافية، ما يعني المزيد من الخسائر في الأرواح".
ولا تزال عمليات الإجلاء الطبي محدودة للغاية، وتدفقات المساعدات أقل بكثير من المطلوب، في حين أن النظام الصحي في غزة قد انهار إلى حد… pic.twitter.com/d2AoeDpm5O — الأونروا (@UNRWAarabic) February 4, 2026