Patients at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza (UNRWA)
WHO says injured Gaza patients died awaiting evacuation
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- WHO says more than one thousand injured people in Gaza died while awaiting medical evacuation.
- Hospital closures and severe medicine shortages continue to strain Gaza’s health system.
More than one thousand injured Palestinians in Gaza died while waiting for medical evacuation, underscoring the collapse of Gaza’s health system under 'Israel’s' war, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Deaths while awaiting treatment
Rick Brennan, the WHO representative in the Palestinian territories, said approximately one thousand ninety two injured patients died between July 2024 and Nov 28, 2025 while awaiting transfer for specialized medical care.
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Brennan said the number likely underrepresents the real toll, as it reflects only reported cases and excludes deaths that occurred without formal documentation.
Health officials say many of the victims could have survived if timely evacuation and treatment had been allowed, particularly those suffering from complex trauma, severe burns, and internal injuries.
Urgent calls to reopen evacuation pathways
“WHO has urged more countries to accept patients from Gaza and called for the resumption of medical evacuations to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem”, Brennan said.
Medical evacuations from Gaza have been sharply restricted, forcing critically injured patients to remain in overcrowded facilities that lack advanced surgical capacity, intensive care units, and specialized equipment.
Families of the wounded report repeated delays, canceled transfer approvals, and prolonged waiting periods that often stretch for weeks, during which patients’ conditions deteriorate.
Health system near collapse
Only eighteen of Gaza’s thirty six hospitals are partially functioning. Many facilities operate without reliable electricity, clean water, or sufficient staff, according to Brennan.
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Just 43 percent of primary health care centers remain operational, limiting access to routine treatment, emergency care, and follow-up services for patients with chronic illnesses.
The Gaza Strip is also facing a severe shortage of essential medicines and medical supplies. Brennan said drugs used to treat heart disease, cancer, kidney failure, and other life-threatening conditions are critically scarce.
Aid delivery remains obstructed
While 'Israel' has approved a higher percentage of aid requests in recent months, Brennan said the delivery process remains “slow and unnecessarily complicated”.
Medical convoys face delays, rerouting, and logistical barriers that prevent timely distribution of medicines and equipment to hospitals and clinics.
Health officials warn that without sustained evacuations, unrestricted aid access, and the protection of medical facilities, more injured Palestinians will die from treatable conditions.
WHO said the situation reflects a broader humanitarian emergency in the Gaza Strip, where prolonged restrictions and repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure continue to exact a deadly toll on the wounded and sick.
