Gaza has once again become the target of Israeli military invasions and the subject of methods of collective punishment, further exacerbating an existing, severe humanitarian situation in the Strip, and in Palestine as whole. Escalating levels of violence; the targeting of civlian infrastructure; the rising number of civilian deaths; prolonged border closures; cuts to humanitarian aid; and acute levels of poverty have clear, negative implications for both the status of public health in the Gaza Strip, and the ability of health institutions such as the Palestinian Medical Relief Society to maintain provision of critical health services.
