A/HRC/44/60 from 98.3 percent in 2000), and more than 96 percent of the Gaza aquifer – the only natural source of drinking water in the Strip – is deemed unfit for human consumption because of seawater and sewage contamination.114 This requires much of the population to buy trucked water, which is of varied quality and can cost as much as 15-20 times the water from the public network.115 The inability to treat waste-water – due in large part to the prolonged power cuts as well as long delays by Israel in allowing necessary construction parts to enter Gaza to either repair existing, or build new, waste treatment plants – has resulted in the prolonged dumping of more than 105 million cubic litres of untreated sewage daily into the Mediterranean Sea. All of these trends are vectors for disease and poor living standards. 69. And third, Gaza’s health care system is severely depleted and has been brought close to collapse by the closure and escalating conflicts, notwithstanding the dedication of its professionals. In June 2020, 232 items (45 percent) on the essential drug list were at less than a one-month supply at Gaza’s Central Drugs Store, and 219 items (42 percent) were totally depleted. 116 Some essential medical equipment – including X-ray scanners, carbon fiber components and epoxy resins used to treat damaged limbs – are classified as dual-use items by Israel, which either prevents or restricts their import.117 The intermittent and unreliable supply of electricity has posed significant challenges to the delivery of critical care in intensive care units, neonatal units, dialysis units and trauma and emergency departments.118 The extraordinary volume of injuries, many of them traumatic, arising from the Israeli military’s shootings during the 2018-19 Great March of Return – more than 19,000 hospitalizations, almost 8,000 gunshot injuries (many with severe permanent injuries requiring long-term therapy and care) and widespread mental health consequences – have overwhelmed the health care system.119 70. All patients in Gaza are required to obtain travel permits from the Government of Israel to access care in Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, or elsewhere, because of the diminished capacity of the Gaza health sector, including shortages or lack of specialist services, equipment, medicines and expertise. There are usually more than 2,000 patient applications for health exit permits each month from Gaza made to Israeli authorities for approval, a third of whom are cancer patients. Between January and May 2020, a third of the applications were unsuccessful.120 71. Wages for health professionals have been detrimentally affected by the ongoing closure, the intra-Palestinian political division and limitations to revenue raising for public authorities. Ministry of Health staff have been receiving less than half of their contracted salaries, which has contributed to many of them to seek new postings outside of Gaza. More than 200 doctors left in 2018 alone.121 On a per capita basis, the number of doctors, nurses and hospital beds per capita has deteriorated since 2012.122 E. Withholding of Bodies 72. Israel has regularly refused to release the bodies of Palestinian militants and civilians back to their families for burial and farewell. Instead, it has retained the bodies and either stored them or buried them in undisclosed cemeteries. B’Tselem stated that, at the end of 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/paper-ad-hoc-liaison-committee-2-june2020-office-united. http://healthclusteropt.org/admin/file_manager/uploads/files/shares/Documents /humanitarian_needs_overview_2019.pdf. UN WHO, OPT Health Cluster Bulletin, May-June 2020. Information provided by Medical Aid for Palestinians (UK). https://unctad.org/meetings/en/SessionalDocuments/tdbex68d4_en.pdf. http://healthclusteropt.org/admin/file_manager/uploads/files/shares/Documents /humanitarian_needs_overview_2019.pdf. http://www.emro.who.int/images/stories/palestine/documents/WHOPatientVoices_2_Final.pdf?ua=1&ua=1. https://unctad.org/meetings/en/SessionalDocuments/tdbex68d4_en.pdf. https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/paper-ad-hoc-liaison-committee-2-june2020-office-united. 17