GENEVA

More than 10,600 patients with severe health conditions have been medically evacuated from Gaza since October 2023, but thousands more remain trapped without access to life-saving care, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

In a post on US social media company X, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that evacuations carried out by the WHO and its partners included more than 5,600 children, all requiring critical and advanced medical treatment unavailable in Gaza.

"Yet, many more patients remain in Gaza awaiting evacuation to receive appropriate health care," Tedros said.

Citing figures from the Ministry of Health, he said at least 1,092 patients died while waiting for medical evacuation between July 2024 and Nov. 28, 2025, warning that the number is "likely underreported."

The health system in Gaza has been devastated by ongoing Israeli hostilities, severe shortages of medicines and fuel, and damage to hospitals and medical infrastructure, leaving many patients unable to access specialized care such as cancer treatment, dialysis, or complex surgery.

WHO has repeatedly warned that delays and restrictions on medical evacuations are costing lives, particularly among children and patients with chronic or life-threatening conditions.

Tedros called on more countries to accept patients from Gaza and urged the restoration of medical evacuations to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

"Lives depend on it," he concluded.

- 3rd child dies from hypothermia

UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires told reporters that a third child has died from hypothermia in Gaza due to "horrendous weather and cold."

He said: "We have seen reports that in December, up to now, three children have died of hypothermia, including yesterday, a 29-month-old baby who couldn't endure the disease, the cold temperatures, the lack of medical infrastructure, medicines, and support to help her survive, so the baby died of hypothermia."

Gaza's government media office has repeatedly accused Israel of failing to meet its obligations under the Oct. 10 ceasefire and its humanitarian protocol, including the entry of shelter materials and the delivery of 300,000 tents and mobile homes for displaced families.

Israel has killed nearly 70,700 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,100 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023, before the assault came to a halt under the ceasefire deal that took effect on Oct. 10.