Gaza diabetes patient searches for insulin pen amid ongoing shortages on June 24

Hamza al-Ghazali, a 20-year-old Type 1 diabetes patient in the Zeitoun neighborhood south of Gaza City, searched pharmacies and medical centres for an insulin pen on June 24, 2026. He has conducted similar searches since the outbreak of war in October 2023. Before the war, al-Ghazali bought insulin pens for 25 to 35 Israeli shekels each.

The price rose to between 75 and 100 shekels during the war. He requires six to seven pens per month. Glucose test strips remain in short supply, limiting daily blood-sugar monitoring. A glucose metre costs between 250 and 300 shekels.

More than 80 percent of diabetes patients in some areas cannot test their blood sugar regularly. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that between 70,000 and 80,000 diabetes patients face risk from shortages of insulin and test strips. Approximately 2,500 children in Gaza live with Type 1 diabetes.

Medicine shelves at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City showed critically low supplies in photographs taken on March 8, 2026. A year earlier, an Israeli blockade on food entry led to famine in northern Gaza, during which al-Ghazali carried his diabetes bag first during evacuations.

Dr Adli al-Ghouti, an endocrinology and diabetes specialist, said improper storage conditions and power outages affect insulin quality.

Expired or improperly stored insulin can reduce effectiveness and may lead to diabetic ketoacidosis, he stated.