WHO Says More Than 1,000 Patients in Gaza Died While Awaiting Medical Evacuation

Gaza residents among the rubble of buildings as a result of Israeli attacks. (Wikimedia Commons/Palestinian News & Information Agency Wafa in contract with APAimages)

JAKARTA - More than 1,000 patients in Gaza have died while waiting for medical evacuation since mid-2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, warning that the actual number is likely higher.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that 1,092 patients died while waiting for medical evacuation between July 2024 and November 2025, amid continued movement restrictions and the collapse of Gaza's health system, reported WAFA (19/12).

According to WHO, since October 2023, the organization and its partners have facilitated the evacuation of more than 10,600 patients from Gaza suffering from severe health conditions, including more than 5,600 children, all of whom require advanced and life-saving care.

To that end, Tedros called on more countries to accept patients from Gaza and urged the restoration of medical evacuation routes to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, stressing that delays continue to take lives.

Separately, medical sources confirmed that as of Thursday, the number of fatalities in the Gaza Strip had risen to 70,669, the majority of whom were children and women, since the start of the Israeli offensive on October 7, 2023.

The same source explained that the number of injured victims had risen to 171,165 since the start of the attack, while a number of victims were still trapped under the rubble, unreachable by ambulances and rescue teams.

Meanwhile, the total number of deaths and injuries since the ceasefire agreement was agreed to on October 10 has reached 395, while 1,088 others were injured, with 634 bodies found.

Meanwhile, the number of fatalities who were brought to the hospital due to the extreme cold weather and low temperatures in the Gaza Strip has risen to 13.