Euro-Med Monitor Reports 1,134 Gaza Children Amputated, Most Denied Care
A new report details how movement restrictions and a shortage of specialists leave the majority of young amputees without permanent prosthetics or rehabilitation.
By Vikram Harrison ·
The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor released a report on Wednesday detailing the medical situation for young amputees in Gaza. The Geneva-based organization says Israeli restrictions on movement are preventing the majority of these children from accessing specialized treatment abroad.
The report states that 1,134 children in Gaza have lost limbs due to Israeli attacks. While the World Health Organization assessed 2,300 amputees, including adults, for treatment between September 2024 and May 2026, only 500 of those patients have received permanent prosthetics. That figure represents less than a quarter of the assessed population.
The monitor cites a severe lack of local capacity to address the deficit. It notes that only eight certified prosthetics and orthotics professionals are currently available in the strip. The organization says there is insufficient equipment to manufacture, fit, maintain, or adjust prosthetic limbs for the growing number of patients.
Fidaa Ahmad Al-Shaer, 36, spoke to the group about her 11-year-old son, who was paralyzed and lost a hand when an Israeli artillery shell landed near him. She explained that he requires multiple surgeries and a prosthetic limb in another country, but closed crossings have made that travel impossible.
The organization warned that the current delays risk turning immediate harm into lifelong deprivation. It added that gaps in medical follow-up and the failure to adjust prosthetics as children grow can cause chronic pain and increased difficulty moving. The monitor also noted that restrictions have stopped Palestinians from importing the equipment needed to produce prosthetic limbs locally.
In the report, the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor accused Israel of war crimes. It stated that deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction are acts listed in Article 2 of the Genocide Convention. The organization argued that the amputation of children's limbs and the obstruction of their treatment form part of this pattern. Specialized teams also require entry permits to enter Gaza, where they would work and train local staff.
