The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning over the catastrophic collapse of Gaza’s health sector, revealing that more than 900 Palestinian patients have died while waiting for medical evacuation permits that Israeli authorities continue to block or delay.

According to the WHO, at least 16,500 patients are currently awaiting approval to leave the besieged enclave for treatment that local hospitals—devastated by Israel’s months-long bombardment and blockade—can no longer provide. Among them are 4,000 critically ill children whose survival depends on immediate medical transfers.

Health officials stress that every additional hour of delay is equivalent to a death sentence for Gaza’s most vulnerable. Many of the patients awaiting evacuation suffer from advanced cancers, severe injuries, organ failure, and other conditions that require urgent, specialized care unavailable in the Strip.

WHO reports that Gaza’s healthcare system has been pushed to the brink, with hospitals operating at below 50% capacity. Chronic shortages of fuel, essential medicines, medical equipment, and anesthesia are crippling even emergency procedures. Continuing attacks on hospitals and the siege-imposed restrictions on humanitarian aid have left medical teams struggling to keep patients alive.

Since May 2024, the WHO has conducted 119 medical evacuation missions, managing to transfer 8,000 patients for treatment abroad—including 5,500 children. Yet these life-saving missions represent only a fraction of the need, with thousands still trapped in worsening conditions.

Humanitarian groups warn that unless Israel lifts its restrictions and allows unhindered medical evacuations, the death toll will continue to rise—marking yet another layer of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. (ILKHA)