Urgent health update: Peer reviewed literature on the consequences of the war on Gaza and the West Bank/East Jerusalem - March 14, 2026
Peer-reviewed literature:
Commentaries & Editorials
Light a Candle - Health Promotion Practice: Dr. Chandra Ford’s poem “offers a disciplinary critique of the public health profession for its near silence regarding the crisis in Gaza.”
Deconstructing Resilience and Reconstructing Palestinian Endurance and Resistance - International Journal of Social Determinants of Health and Health Services: “This commentary critiques the concept of resilience in general drawing on the international literature, followed by an analysis of its application to Palestinians living in the Israeli occupied Palestinian territory (the West Bank, including Palestinian East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip).”
The ethical and practical challenges of rebuilding Gaza’s health system – Indian Journal of Medical Ethics: This commentary discusses the “urgent moral and political obligation for the international community” to stop the genocide in Gaza and begin rebuilding Gaza’s health system - “a complex task that will require community engagement together with international cooperation, strategic thinking, planning, and long-term investment.” “Restoring human rights and valuing the life of Palestinians as equal to all others cannot be stressed enough.”
Research Articles
Leveraging community insights and navigating logistical challenges: a case study of the 2024 polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, State of Palestine – BMJ Global Health: This case study describes how “the 2024 Gaza polio campaign achieved over 90% coverage across two rounds despite mass displacement, insecurity and systematic collapse.” Facilitators of success included: strong coordination between national and international partners; negotiated humanitarian pauses; pre-campaign socio-behavioral research; community engagement led by local volunteers; culturally responsive communication strategies; and adaptive vaccine management strategies and the development of a mobile cold chain.
Witnessing trauma: Professional erosion and the emotional burden on health providers in Gaza – European Journal of Trauma and Dissociation: This qualitative study assessed the emotional and professional impact of genocide on Gaza’s health providers. In-depth interviews conducted with 30 internally displaced healthcare workers between January-March 2025 revealed five key themes: “(1) the collapse of professional distance and shared trauma, (2) the inadequacy of professional tools in the face of extreme deprivation, (3) compassion fatigue and emotional exhaustion, (4) fragile but vital peer solidarity, and (5) a crisis of hope centered on children’s suffering.”
Child health in Gaza: what can children expect? – BMJ Paediatrics Open: This review situates the long-term health of Palestinian children in the context of three historical conflicts – Iraq, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Haiti – estimating that “it takes approximately 10 years to restore, maintain and resume the trends in improvement in the under-5 mortality rate, in rates of vaccination coverage, wasted children and completion of primary education to preconflict levels.”
Beyond the battlefield: an analysis of the war-related health impacts in the Gaza strip, Palestine – Frontiers in Public Health: This review of WHO and UN reports, as well as peer-reviewed literature, examines the “obscured” health impacts of the genocide in Gaza included “disrupted immunization programs, menstrual supply insecurity, reproductive health complications, delayed cancer diagnosis and treatment, and the collapse of rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities.”
Prevalence and correlates of post-traumatic stress symptoms among war-displaced Palestinian children and adolescents: pioneering cross-sectional study from Qatar – BJPsych Bulletin: This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of PTSD symptoms among Palestinian children (ages 8-18; n=305) from Gaza displaced to Qatar after October 7, 2023. More than half (54.9%) of children met the threshold for probable PTSD. Correlates of higher PTSD severity included formal education, physical injury, and witnessing death, particularly that of close relatives.
Walking through conflict: An autoethnography of providing prosthetic and orthotic rehabilitation in the Gaza Strip 2023–2025 – Assistive Technology: “This collaborative autoethnography explores the lived experiences of Heba Bashir, a certified prosthetist, orthotist, and physiotherapist working in the Gaza Strip amid ongoing conflict. Through reflective narratives and critical incident analyses, Heba reveals the emotional, ethical, and professional challenges faced in delivering prosthetic and orthotic care under extreme conditions. Themes of ethical dilemmas, emotional exhaustion, resilience, and balancing professional duties with personal and familial obligations emerge.”
Supporting teachers in a war zone: a mixed methods study of a brief intervention in the context of ongoing war – Conflict and Health: This mixed-methods study assessed the effectiveness of a 3-session intervention for Gazan teachers focused on self-care and peer support. “Quantitative data showed significant pre-post improvements in well-being (t(48) = 7.48), coping skills (t(48) = 7.13), and sense of meaning t(49) = 3.56), while qualitative findings highlighted increased cognitive flexibility and focus through social support, new awareness and insights, and coping strategies.”
Expanded Roles and Competency Gaps of Emergency and ICU Nurses During Armed Conflict in Gaza – International Nursing Review: This qualitative study assessed the expanded roles, task shifting, competency gaps, and adaptive strategies of emergency and ICU nurses in Gaza during the genocide. Interviews and focus groups conducted in 2025 with nurses and other stakeholders (n=14) revealed that “nurses significantly broadened their scope of practice, responding to critical staff shortages and physician absence” and that “solidarity, mentoring, and nongovernmental-supported leadership helped sustain care delivery, revealing both nursing resilience and entrenched system challenges.”
Determinants of anxiety and depression and their association with coping strategies in health professionals in war and conflict-afflicted areas - Frontiers in Psychiatry: This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of anxiety and depression among Palestinian health professionals (n=713) in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Data from a self-reported questionnaire administered between January-February 2024 indicated a prevalence of 51.5% for depression and 45.3% for anxiety.