In the Gaza Strip, 22,000 patients need treatment abroad
In the Gaza Strip, Palestine, 22,000 wounded and sick Palestinians urgently need to travel abroad for treatment, said Ismail al-Thawabta, head of the Gaza government media office. He called for the crossings to be fully and immediately opened so that 1,000 patients could leave every day.
As Anadolu Agency reports, al-Thawabta was responding to data from Israel's Crossings Authority, previously cited by The Times of Israel. According to the data, about 10,500 people have left Gaza since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025, while 6,000 have returned.
Assessment of evacuations
The official described these figures as insufficient for the humanitarian needs of the Strip. According to him, those requiring treatment outside Gaza include thousands of children whose health condition is deteriorating every day.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Al-Thawabta accused Israel of restricting medical evacuations. He also called on the international community, the World Health Organization and UN bodies to pressure Israel to simplify procedures for crossing checkpoints. According to him, about 90,000 Palestinians are outside Gaza and waiting to return to the enclave.
WHO data
At the end of August, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that thousands of patients in Gaza were still awaiting medical evacuation for urgent treatment. According to his data, during the last week of August, the WHO facilitated the evacuation of 106 patients, including 19 children, accompanied by 132 people, through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.
