Photo by Eyad Baba / AFP via Getty Images
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) weekly situation report on Gaza covering through February 24, 2026, documenting that as of February 16, 2026, 853 people had acquired new disabilities since the October 2025 ceasefire, including 496 new amputations, 186 spinal cord injuries, and 171 traumatic brain injuries. Despite rising needs, assistive devices including prosthetics are classified by Israeli authorities as dual-use items, severely restricting entry. Of more than 5,000 cumulative amputations since October 2023, only 300 artificial limbs were allowed to enter Gaza. 34 explosive ordnance incidents have been recorded since the ceasefire, with 76 victims including 18 children. Essential for public health researchers and disability rights advocates, particularly for the finding that Israel classifies prosthetics as dual-use items preventing their entry for more than 5,000 amputees, as well as for explosive ordnance casualty data.
