Since 2021, Operation Smile has provided approximately 160 surgeries and over 2,300 medical consultations in Palestine.
But there is more to do.
During Fiscal Year July 2025-June 2026, Operation Smile will invest $550,000 to provide care for over 190 surgical patients and train nearly 820 health workers.
In the next five years, Operation Smile will provide surgical and non-surgical care for approximately 7,000 patients.
Cleft Care Programs
This year, over 190 patients will receive life-changing surgical care. Nearly 330 patients will benefit from oral health consultations, approximately 250 patients will receive nutritional support and over 290 will benefit from speech therapy services. Social media outreach and hospital referral programs will expand awareness of available care, connecting more families to treatment. The speech clinic will also be fully equipped to ensure children continue to access high-quality therapy sessions that support their long-term development.
Education Programs
Operation Smile will increase access to cleft care in Palestine by providing training opportunities for around 820 medical providers. We will provide specialty-focused workshops for health professionals in the fields of nutrition, nursing, orthodontics, physiotherapy, speech language pathology and infant care. We will deliver Basic Life Support training in collaboration with the American Heart Association. Volunteers will actively participate in regional trainings, conferences and short-term surgical programs, enhancing their skills and knowledge. We will provide specialized training for health workers on cleft-specific feeding methods. Additionally, Operation Smile will empower nearly 40 caregivers in Palestine with the knowledge and skills needed to support children throughout their cleft care journey.
Operation 100, our bold strategy to bring essential surgical care closer to patients’ homes, will impact Palestine this year as we equip a cleft operative team at Rafedia Hospital in Nablus with advanced skills, essential equipment and enhanced health care infrastructure.
THE NEED
Lack of infrastructure. In the Gaza Strip, airstrikes and a lack of medical supplies, food, water and fuel have virtually depleted an already under-resourced health system. The latest conflict has severely disrupted the provision of essential health services – from maternal and newborn care to treatment for chronic conditions. In Gaza, only 127 of the 236 health facilities remain functional. Hospitals have been operating far beyond capacity due to rising numbers of patients as well as displaced civilians seeking shelter.
Limited access to care. The health system in Palestine is highly fragmented, with Israel’s separation barrier and checkpoints hindering health care provision for many Palestinian communities. In some areas of the West Bank, restrictions on Palestinian development prevent the establishment of permanent health facilities. The Israeli permits regime applies to most Palestinians in the Palestinian territory, affecting access to health care for patients. A survey conducted by Operation Smile’s revealed that 87% of patients arriving at our programs in Palestine could not have undergone surgery without our support.
Challenging child health situation. Around 200 children are born each year with a cleft condition in Palestine. An average of 112 children have been admitted for malnutrition treatment in the Gaza Strip every day since the beginning of 2025. Limited access to quality care disproportionately impacts Palestinian children.
Limitations in daily life. Children and adults with cleft conditions face challenges throughout their lifetime. 31% of patients arriving at Operation Smile programs said that their school performance is impacted by their condition and 36% said that their condition limited their marriage prospects.
BRINGING CARE CLOSER TO HOME
To ensure that every child has access to care close to home, we equip the providers within our patients’ communities with skills and resources to deliver high-quality care. We strengthen health system capacity by harnessing the talent and resources concentrated in larger cities, the hubs, to train providers in under-resourced areas, the spokes, where access to care is most limited.
In Palestine, our hubs are based at the Al-Ahli Hospital located in Hebron and Rafidia Hospital in Nablus where Operation Smile Palestine provides year-round comprehensive cleft care for patients living with cleft conditions.
Our spoke is located at Women’s Union Hospital in Nablus.
Operation Smile supports the Burn Unit in Rafidia Hospital to help patients access surgeries and non-surgical burn care.
FIVE-YEAR VISION
In the next five years, Operation Smile will provide surgical and non-surgical care for approximately 7,000 patients.
Operation Smile will continue to build cleft care hubs to deliver care closer to patient’s homes. We will develop partnerships to strengthen the health system through health policy and advocacy. Additionally, health infrastructure and equipment will be upgraded.
Operation 100, our bold strategy to bring essential surgical care closer to patients’ homes, will impact Palestine over the next five years as we equip a cleft operative team at Women’s Union Hospital with advanced skills, essential equipment and enhanced health care infrastructure over the next five years.