Health system in West Bank facing "unprecedented" collapse, Palestinian officials warn

Palestinian health and foreign ministries have issued a stark warning about the "unprecedented" deterioration of the healthcare system in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. They attribute this collapse to a convergence of humanitarian crises, exacerbated by Israeli actions that impede freedom of movement and a severe "financial strangulation" imposed by Israel.

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The attacks on the health system in the West Bank are quieter but just as damaging as those we have witnessed in Gaza, as they are an integral part of the same policy.

Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin stated that attacks on the West Bank's health system are "quieter but just as damaging" as those in Gaza, viewing them as part of the same policy. She identified military incursions, settler violence, road closures, movement restrictions, and the expansion of checkpoints as primary barriers to Palestinian healthcare. According to the Health Ministry, settler violence and Israeli authorities have caused at least 1,173 deaths in the West Bank since October 2023.

Compounding these issues is what the ministries describe as an "unprecedented financial siege." Israel is withholding approximately $1.365 billion (1.18 billion euros) in Palestinian revenue, including 68% of the Palestinian Ministry of Health's income over the past 15 months. Health Minister Abu Ramadán explained that this continued retention of customs revenue, which forms the bulk of the Palestinian government's income, severely limits its ability to meet obligations and maintain public services.

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The continued retention of revenue from Palestinian customs duties has led to a crisis that now threatens the sustainability of essential health services.

The financial blockade has resulted in state debts to private hospitals, NGOs, pharmaceutical companies, suppliers, and public employees who receive only partial salaries. The Health Ministry has depleted stocks of over 726 essential medicines and medical supplies, including dialysis and laboratory materials, and half of its oncology medications. This shortage directly endangers more than 4,000 cancer patients. Ramadán also reported that over 11,000 surgeries have been postponed in 2026, specialist consultations have been interrupted, and chronic disease treatments are limited, with hundreds of primary care centers operating only one or two days a week.

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These revenues constitute the largest portion of public income available to the Palestinian Government, and their continued retention has severely limited the Government's ability to meet its obligations and maintain public services.