The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza warned on Tuesday of the serious repercussions of the shortage of primary care medicines on the lives of patients in the Strip, calling for pressure on Israel to allow the entry of medicines and vaccines for children.

"Many types of medication for primary care patients have completely run out, while many other types are approaching depletion, which could have serious repercussions for these patients," Ahed Sammour, the ministry's director general of primary care, said in a statement.

He continued: "The complete closure imposed by the occupation on Gaza is depriving patients in the Strip of medicines and medical supplies, particularly those related to primary care medicines, which serve all segments of society, including vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children."

The Palestinian health official also warned of the spread of epidemics and diseases among these vulnerable groups due to Israel's continued closure of crossings and the shortage of medicines.

He explained that the forced displacement of Palestinians has led to "a further decline in the provision of primary healthcare services and has placed significant pressure on the few remaining centers, given the overcrowding of displaced people in the surrounding areas."

He called for urgent international action to "pressure Israel to end the closure and blockade" that has been in place since March 2, preventing the entry of humanitarian, relief, and medical aid into the Gaza Strip.

Samour called on the World Health Organization to "make every effort to bring in medicines and vaccines for children."

He pointed out that the destruction of primary healthcare centers since the start of the genocide on October 7, 2023, has limited the provision of services, noting that Israel has destroyed 32 of the 50 health centers across the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza government and local and international human rights organizations have repeatedly warned of the dangers of continued Israeli closure of the health system, which has been brought to its knees by the genocide.

Since resuming its genocide on March 18 and continuing until Monday, Israel has killed 730 Palestinians and injured 1,367 others, most of them children and women, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

The United Nations said nearly 124,000 people were displaced again after Israel resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip and issued "evacuation orders."

With full American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 163,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 14,000 missing.

This escalation, which Tel Aviv said was fully coordinated with Washington, represents the most significant violation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, the second phase of which Israel refrained from implementing after the first phase expired in early March.

Despite Hamas's commitment to the terms of the agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, refused to initiate the second phase in response to pressure from extremists within his government.