The Director‑General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that more than 18,500 patients in Gaza urgently require specialized medical care that is no longer available inside the Strip due to the near‑total collapse of the health system after more than two years of continuous Israeli attacks.
In a statement shared Tuesday on the platform X, Tedros confirmed that WHO and its partners supported the evacuation of five patients and seven accompanying family members to Egypt through the Rafah crossing on Monday.
This marked the first medical evacuation through this route since March 2025, after months of closures and severe restrictions that left thousands of critically ill patients stranded.
Yesterday, @WHO and partners supported the medical evacuation of 5 patients and 7 companions to #Egypt via the #Rafah Crossing — the first medical evacuation through this route since mid-March 2025. WHO’s role focused on ensuring the safe transfer of patients from #Gaza to the… pic.twitter.com/I1PeuY6cdq
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) February 3, 2026
Tedros noted that the newly reopened pathway is vital but insufficient, as thousands of cancer patients, kidney‑failure patients, and severely wounded civilians remain without access to lifesaving treatment.
Local medical teams report that many patients die while waiting for evacuation approval or because hospitals lack the equipment and supplies needed to stabilize them.
Health System on the Brink
The WHO chief stressed the urgent need for large‑scale rehabilitation and reconstruction of Gaza’s devastated health sector. He called for:
- Rapid restoration of medical supply chains
- Repair of damaged and destroyed hospitals
- Expansion of essential services to reduce dependence on medical evacuations
- Strengthening the system to withstand prolonged emergencies
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that Gaza’s health system is functioning at a fraction of its capacity, with many hospitals operating in damaged buildings, lacking electricity, fuel, and basic medical supplies.
Call to Reopen Medical Referral Routes
Tedros urged the immediate reopening of medical referral pathways to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to ensure that patients requiring advanced treatment can reach functioning hospitals without delay.
The prolonged closure of referral routes has left thousands of patients with no access to specialized care, forcing families to watch loved ones deteriorate while waiting for permission to leave.
He emphasized that rebuilding Gaza’s health system is essential to reducing reliance on evacuations and restoring the right to health for a population that has endured years of repeated attacks and systemic deprivation.
