GENEVA

The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners evacuated six patients, including three children, from Gaza to Jordan, the UN health agency's chief said on Thursday.

Noting that seven companions were also evacuated with the patients, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X: "Two patients will be further transferred to the United States, while 4 will remain in Jordan for specialised care."

Four patients are suffering from war injuries and two require cancer treatment, Tedros said, thanking partners for their support.

"We continue to urge for all possible corridors to be used for medical evacuations, as at least 12,000 patients need urgent specialist health care outside Gaza," he urged.

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last year, killing more than 44,000 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,000.