Please pray this week that Khalid gets the health care he needs
Pray that 9-year-old Khalid has access to medical facilities, supplies and personnel as needed for any injury or illness- shooting, building collapse, ordnance accident, water and refuse contamination, anything he might encounter. Pray that he remains well in the harsh Palestinian winter rains which have flooded many tents. Pray for his speedy evacuation with a family member in the event of illness or injury untreatable in Gaza. Pray that if Khalid becomes separated from his family or is in any way being abused that he will be assisted by a caring social worker. Pray that Israel will lift the ban imposed on 37 humanitarian organizations- including Doctors Without Borders- that they might continue to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza- caring for all Palestinian children and their families. Pray for all healthcare workers in Gaza- for energy, for perseverance, for hope, for rest, for necessary lifesaving supplies and equipment.
Context: The current medical/ healthcare situation in Gaza
Since the October 2025 ceasefire, the Israeli army has remained deployed in areas east of the so-called “Yellow Line,” which cover more than 50 % of the Gaza Strip. Major hostilities stopped; however, airstrikes, shelling and gunfire continue. By 10 December, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported 379 new post- ceasefire conflict-related deaths and 992 injuries. Two children, brothers aged 10 and 12, were killed when they inadvertently crossed the invisible yellow line as they gathered firewood to help their wheelchair-bound father.
Children in Gaza are dying from the harsh winter and rainstorms. At least 16 Palestinians have died due to freezing temperatures, heavy rainfall and collapse of storm damaged buildings.
By mid-December,18 out of 36 hospitals and 89 of 195 primary health care facilities were partially or fully functioning. 55 health service points re-opened or were newly established across the Gaza Strip including one field hospital, 11 primary health care centers and eight medical points. Between 11 Nov- 11 Dec the UN and its partners set up 120 intensive care and emergency beds and provided 30 anesthesia machines and 40 portable vital-sign monitors to health facilities, alongside critical medicines and consumables.
Despite a significant increase in the volume of supplies entering Gaza, basic survival needs are only partly being met, and essential medical supplies, sanitation and hygiene services, construction materials, and agriculture inputs are still limited.
As of 10 December, 35 emergency medical teams (EMTs), including a total of 85 international staff, were deployed across Gaza, delivering specialized care to fill the critical service shortfall. In November, these teams conducted 115,700 consultations, 1,215 emergency surgeries and 591 trauma referrals.
Between 1 November and 8 December, medical evacuation of 114 patients was facilitated, including 99 children, 7 women, and 8 men, with 381 companions. However, over 16,500 patients, including 4,000 children, in urgent need of evacuation for specialized treatment remain blocked in the Strip. Reportedly, 1,000 patients died while waiting to be referred outside for medical treatment.
During the second month of the ceasefire, over 5,200 children at risk, including unaccompanied and separated children and children experiencing neglect, violence or abuse, were identified and supported through one-on-one social work interventions. 287 children were reunited with their families, and 398 were placed in temporary alternative care.
As of Jan 1, 2026, Israel suspended 37 humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and CARE, from operating in Gaza for failing to comply with its new registration rules. These rules disqualify organizations that have called for boycotts against Israel or expressed support for any of the international court cases against Israeli soldiers or leaders. The United Nations and many aid groups urged the international community to take immediate and concrete actions to press the Israeli authorities to lift all obstacles to humanitarian access and NGO operations in the Gaza Strip.
