The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has drastically increased the demands on the Palestinian healthcare system. As of early November, 94% of health facilities in Gaza had been damaged or destroyed, with only 17 of the 36 hospitals providing partially operational inpatient care, according to the World Health Organization. Even before the war, the healthcare system faced immense pressure due to the growing needs of a young population grappling with deteriorating socio-economic conditions and the high fragmentation of the territories hampering an effective health response.
Saint Joseph’s Hospital, founded in 1954 by the French Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Apparition as a private, non-profit general hospital under French protection, is a cornerstone of the Palestinian healthcare system. Located in East Jerusalem, it is part of the East Jerusalem Hospitals Network. Before the war broke out in 2023, they treated 40% of patients from the West Bank and Gaza who could not access adequate care locally.
