The First International Conference to Rebuild the Health Sector in Gaza (Amman, February 7-8 2024) brought together a diverse international delegation of medical and health professionals and policy makers, with a focus on Palestinian organizations and voices, to draft a plan for rebuilding health in Gaza. As part of this effort, a public health sub-group was formed to ensure the adoption of a comprehensive public health approach and the embedding of community and population health as a core component of this plan. In this paper, we share the sub-group’s contribution to the conference.

Introduction

The Israeli army has, since October 7, been waging a destructive war on Gaza. Thousands have been killed or injured, many are left destitute and without shelter and there are thousands of displaced persons who face extreme hardship and live under inhuman circumstances. The war has caused an unprecedented human catastrophe, a total breakdown in infrastructure, and the complete destruction of civilian institutions, leading to disastrous consequences that affect the ability of the population to live and survive.

“The destruction of the health system has been the main thrust of the [Israeli] military strategy.” This was the testimony of Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta after spending six weeks working in various hospitals across the Gaza Strip during the ongoing genocidal war against the Palestinian people[1].