Medicine shortage threatens 225,000 Gaza patients with high blood pressure

Shortages of medicine and healthy food are threatening the lives of around 225,000 hypertension patients in Gaza amid severe psychological pressure caused by repeated displacement and worsening economic conditions during the Israeli war in Gaza, the Palestinian Health Ministry warned Monday.

The warning came on World Hypertension Day, observed annually on May 17.

In a statement, the ministry said "the shortage of medicine is one of the most prominent risk factors threatening 225,000 hypertension patients in the Gaza Strip."

"The suspension of regular checkups for extended periods prevents early detection of the disease and deprives patients of the ability to control it before it worsens," it added.

It noted that "the destruction of primary healthcare centers in Gaza during the Israeli war led to a lack of care and diagnosis", warning that hypertension is becoming a "ticking time bomb that may kill patients without warning."

The Palestinian Health Ministry has repeatedly warned that Gaza's health system is facing near-total collapse because of systematic Israeli attacks on medical facilities during the war.

In previous statements, the ministry said 22 out of 38 hospitals and 90 health centers across Gaza had been rendered inoperable, while facilities that remain functional suffered extensive infrastructure damage.

According to ministry figures, Gaza's health system is facing severe shortages of medicines at 50 percent, medical supplies at 57 percent, and laboratory testing materials at 71 percent.

According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 877 Palestinians have been killed and 2,602 others injured since the ceasefire declared on Oct. 10, 2025.

The Israeli army has killed more than 72,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 172,000 in its assault on Gaza since October 2023, according to the ministry.

Despite the ceasefire announced last October, Israel has continued restricting the entry of agreed humanitarian aid into the enclave, where around 2.4 million Palestinians, including 1.5 million displaced people, are facing severe humanitarian conditions.