According to the results of a new study, at least 1360 doctors have left Israel since 2023. This number is equivalent to an entire hospital and includes specialists who left for a period of at least twelve months between 2023 and 2025.
The researchers recorded 416 departures in 2023, 530 in 2024, and a preliminary estimate of 419 for 2025. Itay Ather, one of the professors who conducted the study, noted that the country 'is losing its best people' since 2023, the year Israel began the genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Ather emphasized that the departure of nearly 1400 doctors directly leads to increased waiting times for medical care, reduced efficiency, and ultimately, serious damage to the quality of life of the population. He also mentioned that the report noted a high rate of departures among pediatricians, ophthalmologists, dermatologists, and ENT specialists.
Although the report did not establish a direct link between the political situation in Israel and the loss of doctors, Ather warned that this outflow is damaging to the country. He stated that if the trend continues, there is growing concern about irreversible damage to Israel's resilience.
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reported that between October 2023 and October 2025, at least 1701 healthcare workers were killed in Gaza due to Israeli attacks. Furthermore, in June, over 1150 healthcare workers and organizations worldwide signed a petition calling for a boycott of the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) for failing to adhere to medical ethics during the war in Gaza. This campaign demanded the suspension of IMA's membership in the World Medical Association (WMA).