World Health OTherganization (WHO) has urged the immediate opening of all border crossings to allow thousands of critically ill Gazans to leave the besieged enclave for treatment, calling the move a potential “game-changer” for the territory’s collapsing health system.

Since the war between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups began two years ago, the WHO has helped facilitate the evacuation of nearly 7,800 patients in desperate need of medical care outside the Gaza Strip. However, the UN health agency estimates that around 15,000 people still urgently require medical treatment abroad — including 4,000 children.

Despite the US-brokered ceasefire that came into effect on October 10, the pace of medical evacuations has not improved. WHO officials said that only 41 critical patients have been evacuated since the truce began.

Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO’s representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, said during a briefing from Jerusalem that all crossings into Israel and Egypt must be opened for medical evacuations, not just for humanitarian aid deliveries.

“All medical corridors need to be opened,” Peeperkorn stressed. “Hospitals in the West Bank and East Jerusalem used to receive Gazan patients regularly before the war. Reopening those routes is vital and the most cost-effective solution. If that route opened, it would really be a game-changer.”

He added that while two medical evacuations are currently scheduled for next week, the WHO is prepared to evacuate at least 50 patients per day if the necessary clearances are granted.

At the present rate, Peeperkorn warned, it could take a decade to evacuate all 15,000 patients in need of life-saving care.

The WHO also reported that more than 700 people have died while waiting for permission to leave Gaza for treatment since the beginning of the war.

The organization has appealed to more countries to accept wounded and sick Palestinians, noting that while over 20 nations have taken in some patients, only a few have done so in substantial numbers.

The humanitarian situation inside Gaza’s medical facilities remains dire. Out of 36 hospitals in the enclave, only 14 are even partially functional, and most are operating without sufficient electricity, medicine, or staff. With a population exceeding two million, Gaza’s healthcare system is on the verge of total collapse.

Peeperkorn underscored that opening medical corridors during the ceasefire could save thousands of lives and ease the unbearable strain on Gaza’s remaining health facilities.

“This is not only a health issue,” he said, “it is a moral imperative.” (ILKHA)