The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced plans to evacuate over 100 critically ill and injured patients from Gaza on Wednesday, marking the first medical evacuation in the region in nearly five weeks.
According to WHO, the evacuation will include individuals wounded in ongoing hostilities as well as patients with chronic illnesses requiring immediate attention. The operation will transfer patients through the Kerem Shalom crossing at Gaza’s southern border, initially moving them to Egypt.
From there, most patients will be airlifted to the United Arab Emirates, while approximately 30 individuals will be flown to Romania, WHO representative Rik Peeperkorn said in a video briefing. Peeperkorn highlighted the urgent need for continued medical transfers, noting that between 12,000 and 14,000 patients, many suffering from burns, spinal injuries, and cancer, are awaiting treatment abroad.
Peeperkorn urged Israel to provide consistent security assurances to allow more regular patient transfers, stressing that the current occasional evacuations are insufficient to meet the escalating medical needs.
