The World Health Organization led the medical evacuation of 41 critical patients and 145 companions out of Gaza, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.

Around 15,000 Gaza patients are awaiting evacuation, Tedros said in an X post.

“We continue to call on countries to show their solidarity and for all routes to be opened to expedite the medical evacuation,” the WHO chief said.

Many suffer from injuries sustained during the two-year-long Israel-Hamas conflict. Others have chronic conditions such as cancer and heart disease that the enclave’s decimated health system cannot cope with.

During the war, more than 7,000 patients have been evacuated from Gaza, with Egypt taking more than half of them.

The rate of transfers slowed to a trickle when the Rafah Border Crossing was shut in May 2024 and Israel seized control. Since a........

© The Times of Israel