WHO to evacuate 100 patients from Gaza for first time in over a month

Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said it plans to evacuate more than 100 patients from the Gaza Strip, announcing the first such operation in about five weeks.

The evacuees will include those injured in the ongoing Gaza war, as well as chronically-ill patients, the WHO said.

Initially, patients will be brought to Egypt via the southern border crossing of Kerem Shalom and Israel.

Since the closure Gaza's border crossing with Egypt in the southern city of Rafah at the beginning of May 2024, only 282 patients have been brought out of the Gaza Strip, Peeperkorn said.

However, between 12,000 and 14,000 additional patients, who suffer from burns, spinal injuries, amputations or cancer, among others ailments, also need to be treated abroad, he said.

The WHO representative called on Israel to give security guarantees to enable the permanent transfer of patients, instead of occasional medical evacuations.

"We cannot continue the way we do now," Peeperkorn said.