— Justice and Peace News
Working Together to Heal the Wounds of Gaza
August 17, 2026
In Gaza, wounds are everywhere.
Some are visible: injuries that require treatment, illnesses left unattended, and chronic conditions made more difficult by damaged health facilities and severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies. Others cannot be seen so easily: the fear carried by children, the anxiety of mothers, the grief of families, and the psychological scars left by years of violence and displacement.
Amid this devastation, Caritas Jerusalem continues to stand alongside the people of Gaza. Its 120 local staff work tirelessly with dedication, compassion and professionalism, providing care when the need is overwhelming and resources are painfully limited. Their mission is simple yet profound: to help people heal—not only their physical wounds, but also the wounds carried in their hearts and minds.
The humanitarian situation remains devastating. The dangers faced by Gaza’s health sector remain painfully real. On 29 July 2026, an Israeli airstrike struck a residential apartment adjacent to Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. Although the hospital itself was not directly hit, the blast damaged hospital facilities, shattered windows and doors, and damaged an elevator in the diagnostic centre. For patients and medical workers already living under immense pressure, such incidents add another layer of fear and uncertainty to an already devastating reality.
Against this backdrop, Caritas Jerusalem’s health teams continue bringing essential healthcare closer to communities whose access to medical services has been severely disrupted. Since the beginning of the year, a total of 78,711 beneficiaries received medical consultations during the reporting period from January to July 2026. Female beneficiaries represented the majority, accounting for 46,263 consultations (58.8%), compared with 32,448 male beneficiaries (41.2%).
Caritas Jerusalem’s work is about more than providing services. It is about accompanying people. Its staff live and work alongside the communities they serve.
Behind every consultation is a person.
A child who needs treatment. A mother seeking care for her family. An elderly person whose chronic illness cannot wait. A patient who has endured displacement, loss and uncertainty and still needs someone to listen.
For Caritas Jerusalem’s medical teams, healthcare is therefore about more than treating an illness. It is about restoring dignity, reassurance and a sense of normality to people whose lives have been profoundly disrupted.
But not every wound can be treated with medicine.
Children who have witnessed violence, mothers carrying the weight of their families, and people living with constant uncertainty also need someone to listen and help them cope. Since the beginning of the year, Caritas Jerusalem has provided mental health and psychosocial support to 651 people, including 494 children and 157 mothers.
These figures represent much more than statistics. They represent moments of human connection: a child finding a safe space to speak, a mother being heard, or a frightened person discovering that they are not alone.
This is why Caritas Jerusalem’s work is about more than providing services. It is about accompanying people. Its staff live and work alongside the communities they serve. They witness the suffering and uncertainty, yet they continue to show up, to treat, to listen, to comfort and to care. Their presence carries a powerful message: You have not been forgotten.
In Gaza, Caritas Jerusalem continues to work alongside the people: healing what can be healed, comforting where there is pain, and helping people find the strength to face another day.
Harout Bedrossian, Head of Resource Development
