The World Health Organization has issued a grave warning through its official channels, expressing profound concern over the systemic collapse of healthcare infrastructure in the Palestinian territories amid continued Israeli military operations. The multilateral body urgently called for enhanced protection of its ground teams and unimpeded access to deliver critical medical assistance.
Current WHO data reveals that approximately 10,600 critically ill patients have been medically evacuated since the escalation of hostilities, with children comprising more than half of these cases at 5,600. However, the organization emphasizes that numerous patients still require immediate transfer to facilities capable of providing comprehensive medical treatment.
According to documentation from the Gaza Ministry of Health, a minimum of 1,092 patients perished while awaiting medical evacuation between July 2024 and late November 2025. Health authorities caution that this official figure likely represents a significant undercount of the actual mortality rate due to reporting challenges in conflict-affected areas.
United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric recently reported that despite declared ceasefires, persistent accounts of airstrikes, artillery shelling, and small arms fire continue to cause civilian casualties and severely disrupt humanitarian operations. Dujarric further highlighted that extreme shelter shortages have forced numerous families to seek refuge in structurally compromised buildings, many of which have subsequently collapsed under precarious conditions.
The UN has renewed its diplomatic appeal to Israeli authorities, urging the complete removal of restrictions on humanitarian aid entry, including critically needed construction materials for emergency shelter and infrastructure repair.