The UN Agency Calls Slow Medical Evacuation Causes Gaza Children To Die

Israeli military operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - UN agencies said children in Gaza died of pain due to a lack of emergency care due to Israeli authorities agreeing less to medical evacuations after the closure of the Rafah crossing.

Earlier, nearly 300 children were evacuated every month, that number is now down to less than a day, with authorities awaiting security approval from Israeli authorities who are watching the exit from Gaza in vain, James Elder of UNICEF said at a UN briefing in Geneva.

"As a result, children in Gaza died, not just from bombs and bullets and grenades that hit them," he said.

"Even when a miracle occurs, even when a bomb explodes and houses collapse and the victims increase but the children survive, they are then prevented from leaving Gaza for urgent medical treatment that could save their lives," he added.

The WAFA news agency reported that Palestinian deaths since the latest conflict broke out in Gaza on October 7, 2023, had reached 42,874 people and 100,544 others were injured, the majority being children and women.

Separately, Israeli authorities did not say when a request for medical evacuation was rejected, and no explanation was given regarding the decision taken.