Over 1,000 Palestinians died in Gaza while awaiting medical evacuation, says WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) says more than a thousand Palestinians have died in the Gaza Strip while waiting for medical evacuation permits from Israeli authorities between July 2024 and late November this year.
Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York that 1,092 patients lost their lives during the mentioned period, citing Gaza’s health authorities.
He noted that the figure is likely underreported and not fully representative, as it is based solely on reported deaths.
Peeperkorn added that the WHO “has called on more countries to accept patients from Gaza and for medical evacuation operations to resume to the West Bank,” including East al-Quds.
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According to Peeperkorn, 18 out of 36 hospitals and 43 percent of primary health care centers in Gaza were partially functioning, and there was a severe shortage of essential medicines and medical supplies needed for heart disease treatment, among others.
Despite improved approval rates for supplies destined for Gaza, he stated, the process of bringing medicines and medical equipment into the territory remained “slow and unnecessarily complicated.”
Peeperkorn noted that WHO continues to face challenges in bringing laboratory reagents and critical lab machine components into Gaza, as many items were denied entry due to being classified as dual-use.
He called on Israeli authorities to give “a blanket approval” for medical supplies to enter Gaza, so urgent needs can be addressed.”
Peeperkorn said Storm Byron struck Gaza with force, deepening the suffering of already displaced families.
He highlighted that winter conditions, combined with poor water and sanitation, are expected to drive a surge in acute respiratory infections, hepatitis and diarrheal diseases.
Peeperkorn also warned that children, older people, and those with chronic health issues remain at greatest risk.
Since the Gaza ceasefire came into effect on October 10, the Israeli army has repeatedly breached the agreement, resulting in the deaths of at least 386 Palestinians and injuries to 1,018 others.
Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed over 70,300 people, the majority being women and children, and left more than 171,000 people injured since October 2023. These actions have persisted despite the announced truce.
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