1,000 Patients in Gaza Die Waiting for Medical Evacuation

Nearly 1,100 patients in the Gaza Strip have died while awaiting medical evacuation due to delays, according to the World Health Organization’s representative in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Rick Peeperkorn told journalists at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday, citing Gaza health authorities, that around 1,092 patients died between July 2024 and November 28, 2025, while waiting to be transferred for urgent medical treatment.

Peeperkorn warned that the figure is likely an undercount and does not fully reflect the true scale of the crisis, as it is based solely on reported deaths.

He said the World Health Organization has called on more countries to accept patients from Gaza and urged the resumption of medical evacuations to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

According to Peeperkorn, only 18 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially operational, while just 43 percent of primary healthcare centers are functioning. He highlighted a severe shortage of essential medicines and medical supplies needed to treat heart disease and other life-threatening conditions.

Although approval rates for aid deliveries into Gaza have improved, Peeperkorn said the process of bringing medicines and medical equipment into the territory remains slow and unnecessarily complicated.

The situation underscores the deepening humanitarian and health crisis in Gaza, where prolonged restrictions, damaged infrastructure, and limited access to care continue to put thousands of lives at risk.