The Gaza Strip Ministry of Health has confirmed the death of three Palestinians with Guillain-Barré syndrome (SGB), a rare neurological disease that can cause sudden muscle weakness, even paralysis.
Two of the victims are children under the age of 15, who died “for lack of access to vital treatments” due to the blockade imposed by Israel on the entrance to humanitarian aid in the enclave. In a statement published on Telegram, the Ministry of Health alerted against “a disturbing increase in cases of acute paralysis and Guillain-Barré syndrome in children, due to atypical infections and the worsening of acute malnutrition”.
“Medical examinations have revealed the presence of intestinal viruses other than polio, confirming the existence of an environment conducive to the uncontrolled spread of infectious diseases throughout the territory,” continues the text.
Malnutrition, overcrowding, lack of sanitation and the rarity of drinking water have already caused several epidemics of infectious diseases in the besieged enclave such as polio, cholera, hepatitis A or scabies since the start of the Israeli offensive in October 2023.
The collapse of the hospital system in Gaza resulted in the death of several thousand people, due to the lack of treatments to treat their pathologies, which are not counted in the daily assessments published by the Gazaouies authorities, which report at least 60,933 Palestinians directly killed by Israeli shooting or bombardments since the start of the war. An independent study carried out by British and Palestinian researchers published in June 2025 had estimated at around 8,500 the number of cases of “indirect deaths” linked to the conflict during its study period, between October 2023 and January 2025.
The worsening of the famine observed in recent weeks in the Palestinian enclave has increased the total number of Palestinians who died due to malnutrition at 175 people, including 93 children, on August 4, 2025.
The Ministry of Health of the Gaza Strip has confirmed the death of three Palestinians with Guillain-Barré syndrome (SGB), a rare neurological disease that can lead to a sudden muscle weakness, even a paralysis. Of the victims are children under the age of 15, who died “for lack of access to vital treatment” due to the blockade imposed by Israel on the entry of humanitarian aid The enclave. In a statement published on Telegram, the Ministry of Health alerted against “a disturbing increase in cases of acute paralysis and Guillain-Barré syndrome in children, due to atypical infections and the worsening of acute malnutrition”. “Medical examinations have revealed the presence of intestinal viruses other than poliomyelitis, …