18,500 Gaza Patients in Critical Need of Medical Evacuation, WHO Says
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed the agency facilitated the transfer of 21 patients from Gaza to Jordan on Jan. 19, with 36 family members accompanying them, and expressed gratitude to Jordan for ongoing support.
Yet despite these limited transfers, Tedros emphasized that thousands of critically ill patients remain stranded in Gaza as the enclave's healthcare infrastructure buckles under Israel's sustained military operations, critical shortages of medications and fuel, and widespread hospital devastation.
The WHO chief also applauded a recent breakthrough: the Jerusalem District Court authorized one Gaza patient to receive treatment in the occupied West Bank—marking the first approval of its kind since October 2023.
"This is a step in the right direction and must pave the way for the reopening of the medical evacuation route to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which remains the most time- and cost-effective route, with hospitals ready to receive patients," Tedros stated on the US social media platform X.
Israeli military data shows Israel maintains control over Gaza's southern and eastern buffer zones, plus extensive northern territories, commanding more than half the enclave.
Following the ceasefire implementation, Israeli strikes have claimed 483 Palestinian lives and injured 1,287 more, while Israel has enforced stringent limitations on food, shelter materials, and medical supply deliveries into Gaza. Approximately 2.4 million Palestinians endure worsening humanitarian conditions.
Since Israel's military offensive began in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, the death toll has surpassed 71,000 Palestinians, with over 171,000 wounded—predominantly women and children. The United Nations estimates roughly 90% of civilian infrastructure lies in ruins, with reconstruction expenses projected at approximately $70 billion.
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