Nearly one-third of outpatients treated for injuries at medical centers operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Gaza last year were children under 15, according to data published in The Lancet.
The statistics, shared by MSF in correspondence with the medical journal, were gathered from six healthcare facilities in Gaza, primarily located in the southern and central regions of the devastated territory.
In 2024, these facilities conducted over 90,000 outpatient consultations for injuries. Close to half of these cases resulted from explosions or gunfire, MSF reported.
The Gaza health ministry, relied upon by many UN agencies and recognized by the British government as providing "reasonable figures," reports that more than 62,000 people have been killed in the military operations that followed the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. Women and children account for over half of those fatalities.
The actual civilian toll may be even higher. A confidential Israeli military intelligence database obtained by *CuriosityNews* last week suggested that five out of six Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza were civilians.
Israeli authorities state that they take all possible measures to prevent civilian harm and accuse Hamas of using civilians as shields.
On Monday, Israeli forces struck Nasser Hospital, the only remaining operational public medical facility in southern Gaza, twice. The attacks killed 20 people, including five journalists. Witnesses reported that the second strike occurred just as media and emergency responders arrived, 15 minutes after the initial bombing.
While casualties have been widely reported, injuries have received less focus. Gaza health officials estimate over 150,000 people have been wounded.
"Explosive weapons are intended for open combat zones, yet their use in urban areas has risen sharply," MSF stated. "Makeshift shelters, where displaced individuals live, provide little protection from explosions and their effects, such as shrapnel and fire."
In two MSF-run hospitals, nearly 60% of lower-limb injuries were linked to explosive weapons, often causing severe tissue and bone damage.
"Many fatalities occur immediately at the attack site and are not reflected in our records," MSF added. "Injuries and deaths among vulnerable groups—such as infants, the elderly, and people with disabilities—often go unreported, as they struggle to escape danger."
The dire conditions in Gaza, where most residents live in temporary shelters and critical infrastructure like sanitation and roads has been ruined, intensify the strain on the few remaining medical facilities.
Slightly more than half of the injuries treated by MSF were caused by unstable living conditions, household accidents, and traffic incidents.
Read next
Ukraine strikes on refineries leave Russians struggling with fuel shortages
Russia Faces Fuel Crisis as Drone Strikes Cripple Refineries
Russia, often regarded as an energy powerhouse, is experiencing unexpected fuel shortages after a series of Ukrainian drone strikes damaged refineries across the country.
In several regions, petrol stations have run out of fuel, prices have soared to unprecedented levels, and
"France in crisis: Economic dispute escalates into political turmoil"
France finds itself in economic uncertainty, lacking a budget and possibly facing a government collapse. Prime Minister François Bayrou has called for a parliamentary confidence vote on 8 September. With left-wing and far-right parties vowing to remove the government, he lacks the necessary support to prevail.
Recently, the Socialist Party
"Javier Milei rocked by scandal linking sister to alleged bribes"
Argentina’s president Javier Milei is confronting his administration’s most serious alleged corruption scandal—linked to his sister, Karina, a key figure in his government—just weeks before crucial legislative elections.
For over a week, national attention has been focused on leaked audio recordings featuring a former official discussing