Gaza Herald – A senior health official in Gaza has warned that between six and ten patients are dying every day while waiting for permission to travel abroad for life-saving treatment, amid ongoing restrictions on medical evacuations.
According to the Ministry of Health, at least 1,400 patients have died since May 2024, when Israeli forces took control of the Rafah crossing, out of approximately 20,000 cases requiring treatment outside the Gaza Strip. Officials say the daily death toll continues to rise as critical patients remain unable to leave.
Health authorities report that 195 patients are currently in a life-threatening condition and require immediate evacuation within hours to survive. An additional 1,971 urgent cases must be transferred within weeks, with warnings that delays could push them into critical stages.
The crisis is particularly severe among vulnerable groups, including around 4,000 children and 4,000 cancer patients in urgent need of specialized care unavailable inside Gaza.
Officials stressed that the limited reopening of the Rafah crossing has had minimal impact, noting that only a small number of patients have been allowed to leave under strict restrictions. Over the past month, approximately 490 patients were evacuated, far below the estimated need of at least 200 to 400 evacuations per day to address the crisis within six months.
The Ministry attributes the worsening situation to complex travel procedures, prolonged approval processes, and broader regional developments that have further disrupted patient movement, leaving thousands at risk as Gaza’s healthcare system continues to collapse under sustained pressure.
