GENEVA - The Israeli offensive to seize control of Gaza city will be catastrophic for the civilian population of the besieged strip, with aggravated consequences and compounded suffering for persons with disabilities, UN experts* warned today.
"People with disabilities in Gaza are totally exhausted and traumatised. They face extreme difficulties fleeing - some people with mobility impairments are forced to crawl through rubble or be dragged on mattresses, while others face barriers in accessing information," the experts said after hearing from organisations of persons with disabilities in Gaza.
"People with disabilities have endured unimaginable horrors over the nearly two-year genocidal assault. The escalating offensive on Gaza city will prove apocalyptic for them, and puts their very survival at grave risk," they warned.
"Indiscriminate attacks by Israeli occupying forces, multiple displacements, destruction of critical infrastructure, grossly insufficient humanitarian assistance distributed through inaccessible and dangerous distribution points, lack of food, water, medicine and other vital supplies and equipment, breakdown of family and community-based support networks, and inadequate and inaccessible shelters, have left people with disabilities at extremely high risk of death, injury, starvation, dehydration, violence and exploitation," the experts said, echoing recent findings by the Committee on the rights of persons with disabilities.
"As the occupying power, Israel must be held accountable for breaching its obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities," the experts warned. "We are urging all UN Member States to act urgently as genocide and man-made famine unfold in Gaza," they said. "With the offensive on Gaza city likely to result in further crimes and suffering, we urge member states to act upon Security Council resolution 2475 on the protection of persons with disabilities in situations of armed conflict."
Persons with disabilities were already a group disproportionately affected by poverty prior to October 2023. Essential supplies, medical equipment and assistive devices are nearly impossible to access and afford. Many medical-related supplies and assistive aids have been labelled "dual-use" by Israel without justification, and these are not being permitted to enter Gaza.
"No wheelchairs have been allowed into Gaza since early 2025," the experts said. Due to entry restrictions, prices for basic needs have skyrocketed, with the price of one package of adult diapers increasing from 5 to 150 US dollars, creating a dire situation for older persons with disabilities who have also lost access to mobility aids and medical treatments. Women and girls with disabilities struggle to access sanitary packs, amidst the general collapse of sanitary infrastructure and no access to hygiene products. Most persons with disabilities cannot afford food to survive or reach health services.
"In Gaza, living with a disability amounts to a slow death - stripped of humanity and dignity," the experts said.
Local disability organisations continue to provide life-saving support, the experts said, but the needs surpass their capacities. "Their networks have been critically undermined by ongoing assaults, displacement, loss of assets and blockade of humanitarian aid. A new offensive and displacement will cripple their already severely reduced capacity."
The number of persons with disabilities has dramatically grown in Gaza since October 2023. As of 8 September 2025, 163,096 Palestinians have been injured, with more than 25 percent expected to acquire life-long impairments requiring access to rehabilitation and other support. Gaza now has more child amputees than anywhere else in the world, alongside rising numbers of people with hearing and visual impairments, mental health and psychosocial support needs. "This includes nearly every child in Gaza," the experts said.
"The genocide we are witnessing in Gaza is also a campaign of disablement - of people, resources, and infrastructure - to annihilate Palestinian life in Gaza" they said. "Persons with disabilities face some of the harshest protection barriers, and their voices must not be ignored."
