SHOTLIST

GAZA, PALESTINE (DEC. 31, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF DAMAGED HOSPITAL BUILDINGS

2. VARIOUS OF NON-FUNCTIONAL MRI MACHINES AT AL-SHIFA HOSPITAL

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DR. MOHAMMED EMIN MATAR, SAYING:

“…At the present time, there is not a single functioning MRI machine in the Gaza Strip…

Before the war, there were nine MRI machines operating across Gaza, and plans were underway to increase that number to 15 in cooperation with international organizations…

All these plans stopped with the war, and all MRI machines were either completely destroyed or damaged beyond repair…

We contacted specialized maintenance companies, but all confirmed that the machines cannot be repaired and must be fully replaced…

This has caused a serious disruption in diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of patients…

The impact is especially severe in neurology, neurosurgery, oncology, and orthopedics…

Many conditions, including brain tumors, infections, and internal injuries, cannot be accurately diagnosed without MRI…

We are forced to rely on alternative imaging methods that do not meet diagnostic standards…

In some cases, patients’ conditions worsen, and some cases remain undiagnosed…

Before the war, around 180 MRI examinations were performed daily…

Today, the number of MRI examinations being performed in Gaza is zero…

MRI is a cornerstone of modern medical diagnosis and cannot be replaced by any other imaging method…”

4. DISPLACEMENT TENT CAMP

5. VARIOUS OF FATHER WITH HIS ILL DAUGHTER

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN ZUHAIR DAWAS, SAYING:

“…My daughter is two years and two months old and has been diagnosed with cancer…

Doctors requested an MRI scan, but there is no MRI available in Gaza…

Without MRI, they cannot determine exactly where the disease is…

Every day that passes without proper diagnosis worsens her condition…

I am asking for MRI machines to be allowed in, or for my daughter to be allowed to travel for treatment…”
GAZA, PALESTINE - DEC. 31: The complete shutdown of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services in the Gaza Strip continues to disrupt the diagnosis and treatment of patients, particularly those suffering from serious injuries and chronic illnesses, medical sources say.

Hospitals operating with limited capacity across Gaza currently lack access to advanced imaging tools, including MRI scanners, which are considered essential for accurate diagnosis in neurological, oncological, and orthopedic cases. Health officials say alternative diagnostic methods often fail to provide sufficient clinical detail.

According to medical sources, MRI machines that previously operated at facilities including Al-Shifa, Al-Rantisi, and the European Hospital were rendered unusable during Israeli attacks. All MRI devices in the Gaza Strip are now completely out of service, leaving patients without access to a critical diagnostic tool.

Dr. Mohammed Emin Matar, head of the Radiology Department at Al-Shifa Medical Complex, says Gaza previously operated nine MRI machines and had plans to increase the number to 15 in cooperation with international organizations. He says the war halted those plans and left the territory without a single functioning MRI unit.

Matar says the absence of MRI services has caused delays in diagnosis, complicated treatment decisions, and, in some cases, forced doctors to rely on invasive procedures that could have been avoided.

The crisis directly affects families like that of Zuhair Dawas, whose two-year-old daughter Hoor has been diagnosed with cancer. Dawas says doctors have been unable to determine the precise location of the disease due to the lack of MRI imaging, complicating her treatment plan.

Medical staff and families continue to call for urgent access to advanced diagnostic equipment or for patients to be allowed to seek treatment outside Gaza, warning that delays may worsen medical outcomes.

Despite a ceasefire agreement, border crossings have only been opened on a very limited basis, exacerbating the shortage of essential drugs.

More than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza, which began in October 2023 and has lasted more than two years, including 18,592 children and 12,400 women. More than 171,000 people have been wounded, while approximately 11,000 others are believed to remain missing, many thought to be buried under the rubble.

According to a report by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, only 19 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functioning with limited capacity, while shortages of medicines, medical supplies and healthcare personnel continue to worsen.